SOLICITOR-GENERAL

Antisocial Behaviour Orders

Roger Casale: To ask the Solicitor-General if she will make a statement on the arrangements in place between Crown Prosecution Service, the police and local authorities to ensure that antisocial behaviour proceedings are effective.

Harriet Harman: The Crime and Disorder Act 1998 lays down that there should be local partnerships for crime reduction, including antisocial behaviour. All key agencies, including the police, local authorities and the CPS work according to the "antisocial behaviour protocol". There has been guidance and joint training for all the agencies.

Prosecution Disclosure

Ian Lucas: To ask the Solicitor-General what plans she has to introduce legislation to reform prosecution disclosure in criminal cases.

Harriet Harman: The Government have consulted on Lord Justice Auld's proposals for reform of prosecution disclosure in criminal cases. Following the consultation period which ended on January 31, we are considering our response and have said that our proposals will be set out in a White Paper in April. Any plans to legislate to reform prosecution disclosure in criminal cases will be made public in April.

Civil Service Pension Scheme

Sue Doughty: To ask the Solicitor-General what assessment has been made of the risk of the Government facing a legal action under the Human Rights Act 1998 regarding the civil service pension scheme.

Harriet Harman: It is a long-standing convention enshrined in the Ministerial Code, that neither the fact that the Law Officers have advised on a matter, nor the content of any advice which they may have given, is disclosed outside Government other than in exceptional circumstances. This is to protect the confidentiality of the legal advice given to the Government. The Government, like everyone else, should be able to get the legal advice which they need to perform their functions, without having to explain or justify this to outsiders, or indeed to reveal that it has concerns about the legal position. This ensures that the Government seek, and get, frank advice where appropriate without having to worry about any political and presentational implications.

Domestic Violence

Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Solicitor-General if she will make a statement on the role of her Department in dealing with domestic violence.

Harriet Harman: The role of my Department in relation to domestic violence is to promote the safety of victims of abuse and to hold offenders accountable for their actions.
	The work needed to address domestic violence issues extends far wider than any one Department's remit. This is why I have established with ministerial colleagues a Ministerial Committee on domestic violence.
	We are working closely with colleagues across government to draw up a national strategy addressing domestic violence issues that relate not just to the civil and criminal courts, but also to matters of health, education, child protection, refuges and housing.

Fair Trade Fortnight

Mark Lazarowicz: To ask the Solicitor-General what steps she is taking to encourage participation by her Department in fair trade fortnight from 4 to 17 March.

Harriet Harman: The Law Officers' Departments—the Legal Secretariat to the Law Officers, the Crown Prosecution Service, the Serious Fraud Office and the Treasury Solicitor's Department—have no plans to participate in fair trade fortnight.
	The individual Departments are, however, always ready to consider fair trade products when these represent good value and all encourage ethical purchasing as an element in their purchasing policies.

IT Contracts

Richard Younger-Ross: To ask the Solicitor-General what has been the total expenditure of her Department on IT systems and support in each year from May 1997 to date; how many IT contracts have been let in each of those years; of the other main contracting party in each of those contracts, how many have been (a) companies whose registered office is in (i) England and Wales, (ii) Scotland and (iii) Northern Ireland and (b) foreign companies; and what are the names of the companies falling within category (a).

Harriet Harman: I will write to the hon. Member shortly.

EDUCATION AND SKILLS

Individual Learning Accounts

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many arrests have been made in connection with fraud of the Government's individual learning accounts scheme.

John Healey: Forty-four arrests have been made in relation to allegations of fraud with the operation of the individual learning account programme. Twelve people have been charged, one of whom has been convicted.

Individual Learning Accounts

Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will announce the date on which the scheme to replace individual learning accounts will commence.

John Healey: We are determined to review thoroughly all aspects of the operation of the ILA scheme. During January and February we are conducting a consultation with providers, learners and other stakeholders. The results will be an important element in developing a successor scheme.

Individual Learning Accounts

Tony Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills when she expects to announce a replacement for individual learning accounts.

John Healey: We are determined to review thoroughly all aspects of the operation of the ILA scheme. During January and February we are conducting a consultation with providers, learners and other stakeholders to take their views. The results will be an important element in developing a successor scheme.

Individual Learning Accounts

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what measures she will take to ensure that ILA providers are fully compensated following the closure of the scheme.

John Healey: The Department has no plans to compensate learning providers in relation to the closure of individual learning accounts.

Individual Learning Accounts

Boris Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills whether Capita staff at the ILA computer centre have been (a) arrested and (b) investigated by the police in the last six months.

John Healey: There have been no arrests of Capita staff employed at the ILA centre. On Friday 23 November the Department called in police to investigate serious potential fraud and theft involving individual learning accounts. Details of the continuing investigations are a matter for the police. However, to date no evidence has been found to support any allegations that Capita employees have been involved in the abuse of ILAs.

Pupil Attainment

Doug Naysmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will make a statement on the proportion of pupils in the last two years reaching the end of compulsory schooling without a qualification.

Ivan Lewis: The proportion of pupils reaching the end of compulsory schooling without a qualification in 2001 fell for the sixth year in a row to 5.5 per cent. In 2000 the proportion of pupils leaving without a qualification was 5.6 per cent.

Student Loans

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will make a statement on her plans for reviewing the operation of the system of student loans.

Margaret Hodge: We shall announce the outcome of the review of student finance when it is complete and we will consult on any proposals for change.

Student Loans

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills when she intends to publish a consultation document outlining options for a new system of student support; and if she will make a statement.

Margaret Hodge: We shall announce the outcome of the review of student finance when it is complete and we will consult on any proposals for change.

Modern Apprenticeships

Colin Challen: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will make a statement on the introduction of modern apprenticeships in schools.

Ivan Lewis: The Government are working with the Learning and Skills Council to develop a pilot preparatory apprenticeship model for 16-year-olds and above in schools, who may progress to a full modern apprenticeship with an employer later. Further more detailed plans for strengthening the work-related learning element in schools, as part of our strategy for a more coherent and flexible 14–19 phase of education and training, will be published in due course.

University Research

Piara S Khabra: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what plans the Government have to fund high-quality research in university institutions.

Margaret Hodge: The Government will continue to support high quality research in universities and colleges. The detailed distribution of public funds for research is a matter for the Research Councils, the Higher Education Funding Council for England and the other UK funding councils. The Department has made available an additional £30 million to fund high quality research next year.

Public Examinations

David Heath: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will make a statement on the operation of the public examination system.

Ivan Lewis: The Government are determined to maintain a rigorous and high-quality examination system that commands public confidence. We look to the regulatory body—the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority—to ensure that all awarding bodies meet the high standards that students and parents expect.

Ofsted Report (Gloucestershire)

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will make a statement on the recent Ofsted report into Gloucestershire's local education authority.

Stephen Timms: Officials in my Department have discussed the report with the Council's lead members and officers. I am assured that the authority recognises the weaknesses identified by Ofsted, and will be addressing the recommendations in the year ahead. I await the authority's post-Ofsted action plan, which will set out the action proposed.

Schools (Derbyshire)

Harry Barnes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what recent representations she has received on the future of Dronfield and Diencourt schools in Derbyshire.

Stephen Timms: My Department has received an application from Derbyshire local education authority (LEA) to the targeted capital fund (TCF) for capital funding in respect of Dronfield School. TCF supports standards-focused projects which might not otherwise be supported through other capital programmes. TCF applications are currently being appraised and allocations will be announced in March 2002.

Post-16 Education

Bill Tynan: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what guidance she has given to learning and skills councils on the financial support of post-16 education in schools.

Margaret Hodge: The Learning and Skills Council is required to disburse £1.35 billion for school sixth form provision in 2002–03. The Secretary of State's Grant Letter to the Learning and Skills Council for 2002–03 said that she expected the Council to secure a smooth transfer to the new funding arrangements for school sixth forms, and that it must ensure that the funding does not reduce in real terms relative to the amount they received in 2000–01, provided pupil numbers are maintained.

Reception Classes

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the proportion of four-year-olds in reception classes was in (a) 1997 and (b) 2000; and if she will make a statement.

Margaret Hodge: The information is not available in the form requested.
	The percentage of four-year-olds educated in classes that are not designated as nursery 1 in maintained primary schools in England was 53 per cent. and 57 per cent. in January 1997 and January 2000, respectively. Early Years Development and Childcare Plans demonstrate how, in every local education authority area, there is an early education place for every four-year-old whose parents want one in either the maintained, private or voluntary sector.
	Latest figures on under fives provision in England were published in Statistical Bulletin "Provision for children under five years of age in England—January 2001", a copy of which is available from the Library or the Department's website www.dfes.gov.uk/statistics.
	1 Includes reception and other class provision for four-year-olds but excludes designated nursery classes.

Specialist Schools

Helen Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will make a statement about the criteria she applies when considering a school's application for specialist status.

Stephen Timms: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave on 23 January 2002, Official Report, column 903W.

Specialist Schools

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many specialist schools there are in Yeovil constituency.

Stephen Timms: There is one specialist school in Yeovil.

Adult Education

Sue Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what proposals the Government have to introduce an entitlement for all adults to paid tuition for Level 2 courses.

Margaret Hodge: Within my Department, we are currently conducting a review of financial support for adult learners aged 19 or over outside higher education, alongside our work in the Spending Review. We are looking at targeting financial assistance where it is most needed, and at the most cost effective way of doing this. Entitlement for all adults to paid tuition for Level 2 is one option that is being carefully explored.
	We are also developing pilot arrangements that will test how free tuition together with employer compensation for time taken off by employees for learning can act as an incentive. The focus of the learning in these pilots will be basic skills and an initial Level 2 qualification. A small number of pilots will be run by local Learning and Skills Councils in their areas. The pilots will start in spring 2002 with learning opportunities available from September 2002.

Adult Education

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what strategy she has to increase participation in adult learning.

John Healey: The Government's strategy is to ensure that learning is available in a form and at a time and place that best suits the needs of adult learners; to provide targeted financial support to adult learners; and to extend the information, advice and guidance available on learning. The Learning and Skills Council (LSC) has a statutory duty to encourage adults to learn. It will publish its strategy for work force development by the end of March 2002. The National Target for Participation in Learning has been achieved one year early, with 500,000 additional learners since 1997.

School Worship

Desmond Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will make a statement about acts of worship in schools.

Ivan Lewis: All registered pupils attending a maintained school should take part in a daily act of collective worship. This must be wholly or mainly of a broadly Christian character, though importantly, not distinctive of any particular Christian denomination. Schools of a religious character provide collective worship according to the tenets of their trust deed. They are not obliged to follow the Department's guidance in Circular 1/94, although they may find it helpful to do so.
	Collective worship provides an important opportunity to promote pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. We recognise its distinctive and unique contribution in teaching children about the beliefs and values underpinning our understanding of ourselves, what is right and wrong, our sense of belonging and respect for each other.
	The Government have no current plans to remove the statutory requirement for a daily act of collective worship in schools as the law already allows much flexibility over the organisation, timing and content of worship.

School Exclusions

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment she has made of the trends in the numbers of school exclusions over the next two years and the underlying reasons; and if she will make a statement.

Stephen Timms: Many factors will affect the number of school exclusions over the next two years. We are taking forward a number of initiatives in this area, including more on-site learning support units; more Learning Mentors; and more Personal Advisers under the Connexions Service for pupils aged 13–19.
	During the period from 1996 to 2000 the overall number of permanent exclusions has fallen—from around 12,700 in the 1996–97 school year to around 8,300 in the 1999–2000 school year. However, in the last school year (2000–01) the number of permanent exclusions is estimated to have risen to around 9,200 (provisional figure), though this is still 28 per cent. below the 1996–97 peak. We recently issued for consultation draft revised guidance on the appropriate use of exclusion. While this proposes to expand the categories of behaviour where permanent exclusion may be justified, given all the measures we are taking to bolster schools and headteachers with more resources to help them avoid the need for exclusion, we do not expect the new guidance to result in any significant increase in the numbers of exclusions.

Higher Education

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will make a statement on the difference in numbers of students entering higher education in (a) England and Wales and (b) Scotland in the last 12 months.

Margaret Hodge: The latest figures showing the number of students accepted for entry to undergraduate courses are given in the table. We welcome the continuing buoyant recruitment of students in England and Wales.
	
		UK domiciled accepted applicants to full-time and sandwich undergraduate courses
		
			   Year of entry  
			  2000 2001 Percentage change 
		
		
			 Institutions in:
			 England and Wales 271,100 286,600 +5.7 
			 Scotland 30,300 30,800 +1.9 
		
	
	Source:
	Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS)

Education Maintenance Allowance

David Chaytor: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what plans she has to extend education maintenance allowance.

Ivan Lewis: We have no such plans at present. We will be taking decisions on any future extension of the scheme on the basis of the rigorous evaluation currently being conducted.

A-levels

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she has made an assessment of the impact on teachers and pupils of introducing a new A* grade at A-level.

Ivan Lewis: No. The Government currently have no plans to introduce an A* grade at A-level.

Secondary School Places (Eastbourne)

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what measures she will take to increase the number of secondary school places in Eastbourne.

Stephen Timms: It is for local education authorities to ensure that sufficient school places are available for the children in their area. Decisions about the organisation and supply of school places are made locally within a transparent decision-making framework. Where an authority can demonstrate a need for additional places it can approach my Department for funding through the annual capital allocation process.

Departmental Expenditure Limits

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will make a statement on her Department's spending levels in (a) 2000–01 and (b) 2001–02, with reference to its expenditure limits.

Estelle Morris: For 2000–01 the comparison of provisional outturn against the departmental expenditure limit appears in the Public Expenditure 2000–01 Provisional Outturn White Paper (Cm 5243), published July 2001. Since July the outturn has increased by £56 million giving a final outturn of £17.705 billion, which is 93.2 per cent. of the total departmental expenditure limit (excluding welfare to work provision) of £18.998 billion.
	For 2001–02 the initial departmental expenditure limit appears in the Departmental Report (Cm 5102), published March 2001, and subsequently changed following the Winter Supplementary Estimate (Cm 5335), published November 2001 to £20.224 billion. Comparison of spend to the departmental expenditure limits will be published in the Public Expenditure Outturn White Paper in July.

Departmental Expenditure Limits

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what her estimate is of the Department's underspend on its expenditure limits in (a) 2000–01 and (b) 2001–02.

Estelle Morris: For 2000–01 underspends were reported in the Public Expenditure 2000–01 Provisional Outturn White Paper (Cm 5243), published July 2000. The underspends were based on a comparison of provisional outturn against the departmental expenditure limit. Since July the outturn has increased by £56 million thereby reducing the published underspend accordingly.
	For 2001–02 the initial departmental expenditure limit appears in the Departmental Report (Cm 5102), published March 2001, and subsequently changed following the Winter Supplementary Estimate (Cm 5335), published November 2001 to £20.224 billion. Comparison of spend to the departmental expenditure limits will be published in the Public Expenditure Outturn White Paper in July.

IT Contracts

Richard Younger-Ross: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what has been the total expenditure of her Department on IT systems and support in each year from May 1997 to date; how many IT contracts have been let in each of those years; of the other main contracting party in each of those contracts, how many have been (a) companies whose registered office is in (i) England and Wales, (ii) Scotland and (iii) Northern Ireland and (b) foreign companies; and what are the names of the companies falling within category (a).

John Healey: The information that can be provided without disproportionate cost is as follows:
	
		Number of contracts let and total expenditure of IT systems and support
		
			 Year Number Total expenditure (£) 
		
		
			 1997–98 0 6,446,000.00 
			 1998–99 5 8,000,000.00 
			 1999–2000 3 8,400,000.00 
			 2000–01 3 7,362,000.00 
			 2001–02 1 5,975,000.00 
			  
			 Total 12 30,208,000.00 
		
	
	
		Number of companies whose registered offices is in:
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 England and Wales 11 
			 Scotland 1 
			 Northern Ireland 0 
			 Foreign 0 
		
	
	Names of companies, whose registered office is in the United Kingdom
	Axios Systems Ltd.
	ISIS Ltd.
	Peoplesoft UK Ltd.
	NETG Ltd.
	Hays Information Management
	Electronic Data Systems Ltd.
	British Telecommunications plc
	CTP Information Management Ltd.
	International Computers Ltd.
	Xansa plc
	Cap/Gemini/Ernst and Young
	EduServ of University of Bath.

Accountancy Services

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the total cost to her Department was for accountancy services in each of the last four years.

Estelle Morris: Information on the costs classified as accountancy services in the accounts of the Department for the last four years are as follows:
	
		
			 Year Value (£) 
		
		
			 1998–99 44,839 
			 1999–2000 80,637 
			 2000–01 702,133 
			 2001–02(1) 493,947 
		
	
	(1) Nine months to December 2001

Union Learning Representatives

Andy Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will give a breakdown, by type of organisation, of the respondents to the consultation exercise on providing statutory rights for union learning representatives.

John Healey: There were 89 responses to the consultation. Of these:
	31 (35 per cent.) were from trade unions or other worker representative organisations (16 being from employers);
	24 (27 per cent.) were from trade unions or other worker representative bodies;
	11 (12 per cent.) were from local learning and skills councils;
	Nine (10 per cent.) were from other representative bodies (such as learning partnerships);
	Nine (10 per cent.) were from individual union learning representatives;
	Five (6 per cent.) were from individual employees.
	The majority of respondents agreed strongly with the proposals in the consultation document that union learning representatives should qualify as such if elected or appointed according to the rules of the union and that they should undergo training within a specified period. That is why we have included a clause in the new Employment Bill that will give statutory backing to union learning representatives. It will reinforce the invaluable role that union learning reps are currently playing in the workplace to promote work force development and open up new training opportunities for their colleagues.

State Schools Performance (A-levels)

Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what recent assessment she has made of the performance of state schools in delivering A-levels and the impact of Learning and Skills Councils on this process.

Margaret Hodge: Ofsted's December 2001 report on the first year of Curriculum 2000 indicated that most state sixth-forms are successfully delivering A-level programmes. This confirms QCA's recent finding that the A-level reforms are now bedding down after some initial problems in 2001.
	The Learning and Skills Council is working closely with LEAs and schools to develop a detailed framework for driving up standards. It takes over responsibility for school sixth-form funding from April this year.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Free Basic Education

Simon Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much of the UK's total international aid budget is spent on basic education; and if she will make a statement.

Hilary Benn: In 2000–01 around £130 million of DFID's bilateral programme was spent on basic education (9 per cent. of the bilateral total). This shows an increase from 1998 when such expenditure represented 5 per cent. of the bilateral programme. However these figures do not fully represent our effort in this area as they exclude contributions to NGOs (both national and international) and multilateral organisations, none of which can be disaggregated to this level of detail.

Water Shortages

Candy Atherton: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what evidence her Department has collated of civil unrest resulting from water shortages in developing countries in the last 12 months.

Hilary Benn: The DFID strategy paper "Addressing the Water Crisis" identifies the increasing potential for conflict as water demand rises. In areas where water is scarce, increased competition for limited supplies can lead to local tensions, in some cases resulting in violent conflict.
	In the past 12 months, DFID has witnessed this problem in Northern Kenya and Uganda. Different pastoralist groups, competing for water and grazing land, inhabit the area. During drought periods, the groups often come into conflict with one another. Since they are well armed this has led to deaths in the past year. Another example is in the Central Rift Valley in Kenya where protesters barricaded a road as a result of horticulturalists upstream depleting their irrigation water supplies.
	While water shortage as a single issue does not generally result in large-scale civil unrest, it is important to try and satisfy competing demands for water to avoid local conflict. DFID aims to approach water problems from a livelihoods perspective to help ensure that all competing demands for water, and particularly the needs of the poor, are taken into account.

Water Shortages

Candy Atherton: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what representations the Government have made to the United Nations regarding the decline in water tables in certain developing countries.

Hilary Benn: Unsustainable exploitation of groundwater aquifers, in a number of developing countries, is recognised by the UN relevant agencies. The United Nation Environment Programme's publication "Groundwater: A Threatened Resource" focuses on over- abstraction and pollution of groundwater aquifers. DFID's strategy paper "Addressing the Water Crises" also highlights the issue. We recently funded two World bank publications on sustainability of urban and rural groundwater, drawing on the results of DFID funded research. DFID also currently supports an expert to the World bank to identify groundwater issues in key World bank programme countries.

Water Shortages

Candy Atherton: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions she has had with European Union Ministers regarding the decline in water tables in developing countries.

Hilary Benn: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has not had any discussions with European Union Ministers on this particular issue. At official level there is discussion with EC counterparts. DFID has also co-funded the European Commission Guidelines for Water Resources Development Co-operation, "Towards Sustainable Water Resource Management", which recognises the problem and provides guidance on sustainable management of groundwater.

Third World Debt

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what action her Department has taken to eradicate third world debt; and what steps have been taken to encourage other European states to fulfil their role on this issue.

Hilary Benn: The Government have played a major role in tackling the unsustainable debt burden of the poorest countries. We led the way in securing the revision of the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative, which was agreed in September 1999. Up to US$100 billion debt could be written off for the 42 HIPC countries. So far, 24 countries have qualified for this exceptional relief, and these countries will receive more than $54 billion of debt relief, so reducing their debts by more than two-thirds on average. We hope that at least two more countries—Ghana and Sierra Leone—will qualify for debt relief in the coming months, but substantial further progress will be difficult, as many of the remaining HIPC countries are affected by conflict.
	The UK is the second largest contributor ($306 million) to the HIPC Trust Fund to help the Multilateral Development Banks meet their share of HIPC costs. This figure includes our share ($85 million) of the substantial EC contribution of US$661 million for which we pressed. Most of our partner states in the European Union have also made bilateral contributions to the trust fund, on top of their share of the EC contribution. In addition, those member states that are major creditors deliver bilateral debt relief through the Paris Club of Official Bilateral Creditors to countries that have qualified for HIPC relief, with the majority—like the UK—providing 100 per cent. debt relief on their remaining bilateral debts.

Debt Relief

Simon Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what representations she is making to the World bank to deliver deeper debt relief to countries with strong national education-for-all plans; and if she will make a statement.

Hilary Benn: The UK works closely with the World bank in implementing the enhanced Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative. The revised framework provides faster, wider and deeper debt relief to poor countries committed to eradicating poverty. Up to US$100 billion debt could be written off for the 42 HIPC countries so reducing their debts by around two-thirds, on average, and freeing up resources for spending on poverty reduction. Last November, I met the World bank president, Jim Wolfensohn, at the annual meetings of the World bank and IMF, in Ottawa, to discuss debt and other development issues. I plan to hold further talks with both the bank and the Fund at the forthcoming spring meetings, in April.
	The central focus of the Government's international development policy is a commitment to the Millennium Development Goals, which include universal access to primary education. Debt relief is a key element is meeting these goals. It is now widely recognised that there was a need to strengthen the link between debt relief and pro-poor policies. HIPC countries, and other poor countries, are now developing national poverty reduction strategies, setting out how they will tackle poverty and specifying how the debt relief savings, and other development resources—from multilateral and bilateral sources—will be used. For the 24 countries that have already qualified for HIPC debt relief, social expenditure is projected to rise by some $1.7 billion per year. On average, 40 per cent. of this increased social expenditure is being directed towards education. HIPC countries will spend much more on such priority social investments than on debt relief.

Secondments

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many staff were seconded between (a) PWC Consulting and PricewaterhouseCoopers, (b) Ernst & Young, (c) Deloitte & Touche, (d) KPMG and (e) Andersen and her Department in (i) 1999–2000, (ii) 2000–01 and (iii) April 2001 to the latest date for which figures are available.

Hilary Benn: No DFID staff have been seconded to these companies since 1999.

Education

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what plans the Government have to increase the aid budget to support education; whether the Government will press other countries to increase their aid budgets; and if she will make a statement.

Paul Boateng: I have been asked to reply.
	The Government remain focused on their long-term goal of helping to tackle global poverty, and achieve the internationally agreed millennium development goals by 2015 that include universal primary education for all children.
	The UK Government have been at the forefront of the HIPC initiative that means the savings from debt relief can be used to develop comprehensive national poverty reduction strategies. Countries receiving HIPC debt relief have benefited from increased social spending of $1.7 billion in 2001–02, equivalent to 1.2 per cent. of GDP. And spending on education has accounted for 40 per cent. of the savings made on debt, equivalent to nearly $700 million in 2001–02.
	The Government's commitment to poverty eradication means action beyond debt relief is needed, and they have increased the Budget of the Department for International Development (DfID) to £3.6 billion—a 45 per cent. increase in real terms between 1997–98 and 2003–04. Moreover, in his speech in New York and in his pre-Budget report speech, the Chancellor emphasised his commitment to ensuring further substantial increases in development assistance. The forthcoming Spending Review is an opportunity to consider plans for development spending beyond 2003–04, alongside other priorities and pressures.
	The Government are also promoting a significant increase in development aid from all donor countries and international institutions to build capacity and address the long-term causes of poverty in the poorest countries. The Government have proposed an International Development Trust Fund to pool contributions and build on the work of the World bank, the International Monetary Fund and the regional development bank.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

Power Pre-payment Meters

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many households in (a) England and Wales and (b) the Buckingham constituency have (i) electricity and (ii) gas pre-payment meters.

Brian Wilson: Provisional estimates for the year 2001 (as at the end of September 2001) show there were 3.7 million electricity prepayment meter customers and 1.8 million gas prepayment meter customers in Great Britain. Of these, just under 3.2 million electricity prepayment meter customers and just over 1.6 million gas prepayment meter customers are in England and Wales.
	The town of Buckingham falls in the east Midlands distribution network for electricity. There were 0.28 million electricity prepayment meter customers in this area as at September 2001. The town of Buckingham falls in the southern local distribution zone for gas. There were 0.09 million gas prepayment meter customers in this area as at September 2001.
	The number of customers on gas and electricity prepayment meters in the Buckingham constituency will make up a small proportion of those on prepayment meters in the east midlands distribution network for electricity and the southern local distribution zone for gas. Data are not available to produce the numbers of customers on gas and electricity customers on prepayment meters in the Buckingham constituency.

Fuel Poverty

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate she has made of the number of (a) people and (b) households in the Buckingham constituency that are in fuel poverty.

Brian Wilson: Based on changes in incomes and fuel prices it is estimated that in 2000 there were 2.8 million households in fuel poverty in England (based on income including housing benefit and income support for mortgage interest), or 3.9 million households (based on income excluding housing benefit and income support for mortgage interest), representing falls of 15 per cent. and 13 per cent. respectively compared to 1998.
	The following table presents estimates of the number of people and the number of households in England in fuel poverty in 1998, the latest year for which estimates of the number of people in fuel poverty are available. Figures are presented under both definitions of fuel poverty as set out in the UK Fuel Poverty Strategy, published on 21 November 2001.
	
		Fuel poverty in England in 1998 -- Million
		
			  People Households 
		
		
			 Fuel poverty defined using income including housing benefit and ISMI(2) 6.2 3.3 
			 Fuel poverty defined using income excluding housing benefit and ISMI(3) 8.7 4.5 
		
	
	(2) Fuel poverty defined as when a household needs to spend more than 10 per cent. of its income (including housing benefit and income support for mortgage interest) on fuel in order to maintain a satisfactory heating regime.
	(3) Fuel poverty defined as when a household needs to spend more than 10 per cent. of its income (excluding housing benefit and income support for mortgage interest) on fuel in order to maintain a satisfactory heating regime.
	Source
	1998 Energy Follow Up Survey to the English House Condition Survey.
	In 1998, it was estimated that 268,000 households in the region covered by the Government office for the south-east were in fuel poverty (based on income including housing benefit and income support for mortgage interest). This represents 8.3 per cent. of households in the south-east region and 8.2 per cent of all households in fuel poverty in England.
	When income excluding housing benefit and income support for mortgage interest is considered, 406,000 households in the region covered by the Government office for the south-east were in fuel poverty (based on income including housing benefit and income support for mortgage interest). This represents 12.6 per cent. of households in the south-east region and 9.1 per cent. of all households in fuel poverty in England.
	The numbers in fuel poverty in Buckingham will make up a small proportion of those in fuel poverty in the south-east Government office region. Data are not available centrally to produce estimates of fuel poverty in the Buckingham constituency.

Universal Bank

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what agreement has been reached with commercial banks on the charges to be levied on failed direct debits on basic bank accounts under the Universal bank.

Douglas Alexander: holding answer 1 February 2002
	The banks have agreed to make their basic bank accounts accessible through post offices as part of universal banking services. Implementation of that agreement is now a commercial matter between Post Office Ltd. and the banks. The detailed features of these accounts are not part of the agreement on universal banking services. However, the Government have announced their intention to establish a benchmark CAT standard—covering charges, access and terms—for a basic bank account, and are still in discussion with the banks about these.

Miners' Compensation Scheme

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much money has been spent via the Miners' Compensation Scheme in every parliamentary constituency in Wales in each of the last seven months.

Brian Wilson: The Department is not able to provide a constituency breakdown for each of the last seven months in the time available.
	A breakdown of headline statistics for each constituency, as at the end of December 2001, is available on the Department's Coal Health Claims website www.dti.gov.uk/coalhealth. These figures are updated on a monthly basis.

Miners' Compensation Scheme

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much money has been spent via the Miners' Compensation Scheme in Wales in each of the last six months.

Brian Wilson: As at 27 January 2002 the Department has paid out £121.6 million in Wales—£66.8 million on respiratory disease and £54.8 million on vibration white finger.
	The breakdown for the previous six months is as follows:
	
		£ million 
		
			  Respiratory disease VWF Total damages paid in Wales 
		
		
			 During January 2002 4.8 2.4 7.2 
			 During December 2001 2.8 1.6 4.4 
			 During November 2001 6 2.4 8.4 
			 During October 2001 4.5 3.8 8.3 
			 During September 2001 2.9 2.9 5.8 
			 During August 2001 3.1 2.1 5.2

Miners' Compensation Scheme

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much money in the Miners' Compensation Scheme, allocated to be paid to successful applicants in Wales, was outstanding in each parliamentary constituency in Wales (a) this month and (b) in each of the previous six months.

Brian Wilson: The coal compensation schemes do not have specific funds allocated to them. The Government have previously confirmed that they will meet the full cost no matter what the amount.
	The Department expects the total cost of the liabilities for respiratory disease and vibration white finger, assumed from British Coal in January 1998, to be about £6 billion.

Employment Tribunal

Mark Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans she has to introduce a fee for employees wishing to take their employers to an employment tribunal.

Alan Johnson: We have no plans to introduce such a fee. The Government Response to the "Routes to Resolution" consultation sets out the reasons for not taking forward the proposal to introduce a charging regime for employment tribunals. A copy of the Government Response has been lodged with the Libraries of the House.

Ministerial Meetings

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will list the meetings she and her ministerial colleagues held with (a) Hugh Collum and (b) Norman Askew in 2001.

Brian Wilson: Our records show that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry met Hugh Collum and Norman Askew on 13 March 2001, and Hugh Collum on 19 July 2001.
	I met Hugh Collum and Norman Askew on the following dates in 2001:
	Tuesday 13 March—Hugh Collum and Norman Askew
	Wednesday 20 June—Hugh Collum and Norman Askew
	Wednesday 18 July—Norman Askew only
	Thursday 19 July—Norman Askew only
	Tuesday 25 September—Hugh Collum and Norman Askew
	Wednesday 31 October—Hugh Collum and Norman Askew
	Thursday 15 November—Hugh Collum and Norman Askew
	Tuesday 11 December—Hugh Collum and Norman Askew.

BNFL

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, pursuant to her answer of 15 January 2002, Official Report, column 153W, on BNFL, when officials in her Department first acquired information that BNFL was insolvent.

Brian Wilson: 28 November 2001.

Export Credits Guarantee Department

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the results of ECGD's consultation on the establishment of a trading fund.

Patricia Hewitt: In July 2000, the then Secretary of State for Trade and Industry announced a target date for establishing a Trading Fund by 1 April 2002. In September, I launched a public consultation document on the establishment of a Trading Fund. I have today placed a copy of the report on the outcome of the consultation before the Libraries of both Houses.
	The systems needed to operate the Trading Fund are not yet fully in place and have yet to be adequately tested. I have therefore decided that the original target date is no longer appropriate. In doing so, I have taken account of the responses received to the consultation, as well as a range of operational factors.
	I remain committed to the preferred course of capitalisation in the longer term. In the meantime, ECGD is giving priority to its business and systems. I shall make a further announcement in due course.

Independent Petrol Retailers

Elfyn Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many independent petrol retailers have operated in England and Wales in each of the past five years.

Brian Wilson: The Institute of Petroleum's (IP) annual "UK Retail Marketing Survey" (last published in March 2001) provides data on the total number of petrol retail outlets in operation in the UK.
	The following table, using the IP data, shows the number of petrol retail outlets in operation in England and Wales which were not branded either by a major oil company or a hypermarket chain and thus provides some measure of the number of independent retailers. Dealers who sell major oil company branded fuel are excluded by this method. In the last three of these years, some sites have been identified as "unbranded", and are identified separately in the table. In the year 2000, no regional breakdown of the unbranded sites was given.
	
		
			  Branded Unbranded Total 
		
		
			 England
			 1996 3,056 — 3,056 
			 1997 3,741 — 3,741 
			 1998 2,709 295 3,004 
			 1999 2,860 468 3,328 
			 2000 2,387 (4)468 2,855 
			 
			 Wales
			 1996 359 — 359 
			 1997 224 — 224 
			 1998 239 112 351 
			 1999 208 134 342 
			 2000 172 (4)134 306 
		
	
	(4) On the 2000 survey, no regional breakdown of unbranded sites was given. As the UK total of unbranded sites was virtually unchanged, (1999:867, 2000:866), it has been assumed for the purposes of the table that the unbranded numbers in England and Wales were also unchanged.

Redundancy Payments

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans there are to increase the maximum weekly pay figure used when calculating redundancy payments in 2002.

Alan Johnson: The maximum amount of a week's pay to be taken into account for the calculation of statutory redundancy payments was increased from £240 per week to £250 per week from 1 February 2002.

Federal Mogul

Chris Mullin: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what Government assistance has been made available to Federal Mogul at (a) its UK plants and (b) its Sunderland plant in the last five years.

Alan Johnson: Regional Selective Assistance has been made available to the following:
	(a) Federal Mogul Eurofriction Ltd. (Scotland), offered £300,000 in December 1999 and Federal Mogul Global Growth Ltd. (West Midlands), offered £1.2 million in September 2001.
	(b) Federal Mogul TP Sunderland Ltd., offered £550,000 in January 2001, but no payments have been made.
	In addition, payments have been made to Federal Mogul Eurofriction Ltd. for an offer made in 1995.

MINISTER FOR WOMEN

Women's Unit

Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Minister for Women how many staff have been assigned to the Women's Unit.

Patricia Hewitt: holding answer 4 February 2002
	The Women's Unit was created in 1998. Its staff for the first financial year of its existence (1998–99) was 45. The unit was renamed the Women and Equality Unit following last year's general election in order to recognise its new policy responsibilities across the United Kingdom for gender equality, co-ordination of sexual orientation policy and its sponsorship of the Equal Opportunities Commission. Its current staffing level stands at 63.

HOUSE OF COMMONS

Parliamentary Recesses

Nicholas Winterton: To ask the President of the Council if he will make a statement on his proposals for the reform of the length and timing of parliamentary recesses.

Robin Cook: As I stated in my memorandum to the Select Committee on Modernisation of the House of Commons, I would like to see greater certainty about the timing of parliamentary adjournments, a closer relationship between adjournments and school holidays, and a rearrangement of business to reduce the length of the summer period during which Parliament does not sit, while maintaining the current balance between sitting and non-sitting weeks.

February Recess

Greg Pope: To ask the President of the Council what (a) evidence he considered and (b) local education authorities he consulted on school half term holidays before announcing the dates of the February recess.

Robin Cook: Before announcing the dates of the February adjournment I consulted the Department for Education and Skills to establish which dates were likely to coincide with the majority of half term holidays. I recognise, however, that such holidays vary across the country, and regret it is impossible to satisfy all hon. Members.

Public Bodies (Contracts)

Eric Forth: To ask the President of the Council if he will list the appointments made by his Department since 1 May 1997 of chairmen of (a) non-departmental public bodies, (b) commissions, (c) inquiries, (d) agencies and (e) task forces; and if he will list their (i) term of office, (ii) salary and (iii) known political affiliation (A) past and (B) present.

Robin Cook: My Department is not responsible for any NDPBs, commissions, inquiries, agencies or task forces and has not made any such appointments during the period mentioned.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Afghanistan

Jenny Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with his US counterparts regarding the treatment of al-Qaeda prisoners captured in Afghanistan.

Ben Bradshaw: We are in close contact with the US as the detaining power. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary raised the treatment of those detained by the US in Afghanistan with Colin Powell during his visit to Washington on 31 January and 1 February, and again made it clear that detainees should be treated humanely and in accordance with international norms. The US authorities have said that the detainees are being treated humanely and consistently with the principles of the Geneva Convention.

Afghanistan

Joan Ruddock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many people in his Department worked on Afghanistan in (a) 1999, (b) 2000, (c) 2001 and (d) January 2002; and on what tasks and in which policy areas they were deployed.

Ben Bradshaw: holding answer 5 February 2002
	FCO staff working on core Afghanistan-related issues in 1999, 2000, 2001 and January 2002 were four, four, between 19 to 30 and 24 respectively. The staff were working mainly on political and economic matters.
	An additional 235 FCO staff worked at various times on a variety of crisis-related work between 11 September and the end of 2001. This figure does not include staff already in the relevant front-line geographical and functional department. It is not possible to give a precise number given the cross-cutting nature of the crisis and the breadth of the FCO's response to it.

Afghanistan

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his European counterparts on the future of Afghanistan.

Ben Bradshaw: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary maintains regular dialogue with his European counterparts on the future of Afghanistan. He met EU Foreign Ministers on 28 January at the General Affairs Council in Brussels, and is attending an informal meeting of EU Foreign Ministers on 8–9 February in Caceres, Spain.

Gibraltar

George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the strategic importance of the United Kingdom retaining its existing role in Gibraltar.

Peter Hain: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given by the Minister of State for Defence, my right hon. Friend the member for East Kilbride (Mr. Ingram), to my hon. Friend the Member for Chorley (Mr. Hoyle) on 14 November 2001, Official Report, column 741W.

EU Top Secret Documents

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make representations to limit foreign travel by Commission officials with access to EU top secret documents; and if he will list the countries to which paragraph 6 of 19.6 of Com Doc 2001/844/EC refers.

Peter Hain: Com 2001/844 19.6 (d) refers to the rules governing travel by officials of the European Commission. The Commission does not currently hold any EU top secret documents.
	There is no formal list of countries likely to present a risk to staff cleared for EU top secret access. As in the UK, decisions are taken at departmental level in the light of prevailing circumstances, and staff cleared to EU top secret would be warned to seek approval before travelling to any country likely to present a particular risk. At present the only travel advice given to officials concerns individual safety.

Liberia

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on Her Majesty's Government's policy toward Liberia; what assessment he has made of the impact of sanctions; and when he expects them to be lifted.

Denis MacShane: Liberia continues to threaten stability in the Mano River sub-region and undermine progress towards lasting peace in Sierra Leone. A UN report published in December 2000 highlighted President Taylor's financial and military support for the RUF rebels trying to overthrow the Government of Sierra Leone. The UN demanded that Liberia cut its links with the armed rebel groups. In May 2001, with strong UK support, the UNSC imposed sanctions on Liberia including a renewed arms embargo, a ban on the export of uncut diamonds and a travel ban on President Taylor and his associates. We believe the sanctions should remain in place until there is clear evidence that Taylor has fundamentally changed his behaviour.

Turkey

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs in how many business ventures British Trade International has assisted in Turkey during the last two years.

Jack Straw: There are no complete records of companies who have benefited from British Trade International assistance in Turkey. The Turkey Trade Unit (TTU) of Trade Partners UK maintains a database of approximately 3,000 active records compiled initially from those companies who participated in the various activities of the "Turkey: Positioned for Business" promotional campaign, which occurred between 1998 and 2001.

Turkey

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what schemes exist to promote British investment in Turkey; and if he will make a statement as to their effect.

Jack Straw: British companies are able to access the full range of Trade Partners UK services when developing their business overseas. Information on these services can be found on the Trade Partners website (www.tradepartners.gov.uk). These services make no distinction between companies which are trading and those which are seeking to invest.
	UK trade with Turkey has developed into a two way business of approximately £3 billion a year. Exports were down in 2001 as a result of the Turkish economic slowdown but are still expected to be around £1.2 billion while imports are expected to reach £1.8 billion. The UK was the fifth largest foreign investor in Turkey in 2001, with an investment stock of some £2.3 billion.

Turkey

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what safeguards British Trade International has in place to protect the interests of British investors in Turkey.

Jack Straw: The UK has an agreement for the promotion and protection of investments with the Republic of Turkey, which entered into force on 22 October 1996. That agreement provides British investors with certain rights in respect of their investments in Turkey, including the right to treatment no less favourable than that accorded by the Turkish Government to Turkish investments or the investment of the nationals in Turkey of any third state. In the event of a dispute arising between the Turkish Government and a British investor in respect of a British investment in Turkey, the British investor has the right to submit the dispute to international arbitration under the jurisdiction of the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes.

Turkey

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many complaints the British embassy in Ankara has received from British (a) companies and (b) individuals investing in Turkey in the last two years.

Jack Straw: The British embassy in Ankara has received very few complaints. The embassy and its consulates have, however, given advice and support to a number of British companies and individuals on how best to pursue administrative or licensing problems with the Turkish authorities, and referred such inquirers to independent legal advice when necessary.

Turkey

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many business ventures which were originally assisted by British Trade International are subject to legal proceedings in Turkey.

Jack Straw: We do not know the numbers of business ventures originally assisted by British Trade International, which are subject to legal proceedings in Turkey, nor could such information be provided, if at all, except at disproportionate cost. Any companies who are likely to need to resort to law are encouraged to seek the advice of the British embassy in Ankara or its consulates where they may benefit from British Trade International assistance.
	In the event of a commercial dispute the plaintiff is directed to seek independent legal advice and to pursue their claim through the appropriate channels.

Turkey

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans the Government have to promote British investment in Turkey.

Jack Straw: The British Government give high priority to Turkey in their trade development activities but no special plans exist to promote Turkey as a destination for UK investment. HM Government have been assisting the Turkish Government with their plans to improve the environment for foreign direct investment in Turkey.
	As part of this, in January 2002 the Deputy Director-General of Foreign Investment from the Turkish Treasury, Mrs. Emil, visited the UK as a guest of HM Government to look at UK experience of promoting inward investment and regional development.

Secondments (Energy Industry)

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many staff were seconded between (a) BP, (b) Shell, (c) Enron, (d) Exxon- Mobil, (e) Conoco, (f) Texaco and (g) TotalFinaElf and his Department in (i) 1999–2000, (ii) 2000–01 and (iii) April 2001 to the latest date for which figures are available.

Denis MacShane: Three FCO officers were seconded to BP during 1999–2000, one officer from 2000–01 and one officer from 2001 to present date. A representative from Shell has been seconded to our embassy in Tripoli from June 2001 to June 2002 under the short-term business attachment scheme (STBAS). No officers were seconded to/from Enron, Exxon-Mobil, Conoco, Texaco or TotalFinaElf.

Iran

David Atkinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on relations with Iran.

Ben Bradshaw: The UK has, through critical engagement, aimed to support reform in Iran while maintaining a robust dialogue on issues of concern.

EU Committee of the Regions

Mark Hendrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement about the United Kingdom's representation on the European Union's Committee of the Regions.

Peter Hain: We have submitted to the Council Secretariat details of the United Kingdom's 24 nominees for full membership of the Committee of the Regions, along with 24 alternate nominees. They are:
	
		UK delegation to the committee of the regions
		
			 Nominees  
		
		
			 Full members  
			 Muriel Barker North East Lincolnshire (Unitary) District 
			 Derek Boden Leader of the North West Regional Assembly 
			 Ken Bodfish OBE Leader of Brighton and Hove city council 
			 Sir Albert Bore Leader of Birmingham city council 
			 Keith Brown Leader of Clackmannanshire council 
			 Rosemary Butler AM National Assembly for Wales, Newport West 
			 Ruth Coleman Executive Member of North Wiltshire county council 
			 Michael Davey Leader of Northumberland county council 
			 Sir Simon Day Chairman of Devon county council 
			 Margaret Eaton Leader of Bradford metropolitan borough council 
			 Baroness (Joan) Hanham London borough of Kensington and Chelsea 
			 Lord Hanningfield Essex county council 
			 Gordon Keymer Leader of Tanbridge district council 
			 Christine May Leader of Fife council 
			 Peter Moore Liberal Democrat Leader of Sheffield metropolitan borough council 
			 Dermot Nesbitt MLA Junior Minister in the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister 
			 Alban Maginness MLA Northern Ireland Assembly 
			 Irene Oldfather MSP Scottish Parliament, Cunninghame South 
			 Dame Sally Powell London borough of Hammersmith and Fulham 
			 Brian Smith Torfaen county borough council 
			 Nicol Stephen MSP Scottish Deputy Minister for Education and Young People 
			 The hon. Joan Taylor Nottinghamshire county council 
			 Lord Tope CBE Liberal Democrat Leader of the Greater London Assembly 
			 Milner Whiteman Bridgnorth district council 
			   
			 Alternate members  
			 Jennette Arnold Member of the Greater London Assembly 
			 Joan Ashton Independent Group Leader and Deputy Leader of Boston district council 
			 Ruth Bagnall Labour Group Leader of Cambridge city council 
			 Olive Brown Leader of Wear Valley district council 
			 Diane Bunyan Deputy Leader of Bristol city council 
			 Flo Cluclas Liverpool city council 
			 Hugh Halcro-Johnston MSP Convener, Orkney Islands council and Vice-President of COSLA 
			 Dr. Ruth Henig CBE Chair of Lancashire police authority 
			 Jonathan Huish Rhondda Cynon Taff county borough council 
			 Elin Jones Assembly Member for Ceredigion 
			 Susie Kemp Opposition Leader of West Berkshire county council 
			 Lord Tarsem King Mayor of Sandwell district council 
			 Sue Sida Lockett Conservative Group Leader of Suffolk county council 
			 Corrie McChord Leader of Stirling council 
			 Jack McConnell MSP First Minister 
			 Irene McGugan MSP Shadow spokesperson for children and education 
			 Bob Neill Member of the Greater London Assembly, Bexley and Bromley 
			 Margaret Ritchie District councillor, Down district council 
			 George Savage MLA Northern Ireland Assembly, Upper Bann 
			 David Shakespeare Leader of Buckinghamshire county council 
			 Shirley Smart Leader of Isle of Wight unitary council 
			 Jim Speechley CBE Leader of Lincolnshire county council 
			 Liz Tucker Liberal Democrat Leader of Worcestershire county council 
			 Sir Ron Watson CBE Sefton metropolitan borough council

DEFENCE

A400M

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will extend the deadlines for a final decision on the A400M.

Lewis Moonie: Representatives of the eight participating nations met on 31 January to discuss the latest position on A400M. We continue to work constructively with our partners on ways to bring the project to fruition as soon as possible. One option is to extend the deadline for Germany to secure its necessary approvals.

Nancekuke

Candy Atherton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 25 January 2002, Official Report, column 1118W, on Nancekuke, what anecdotal evidence he has implying nerve agent production plant built at Nancekuke contained equipment originating from Germany.

Lewis Moonie: As I indicated in my earlier answer of 25 January 2002, Official Report, column 1118W, there are no surviving records which detail the origin of equipment and materials used at the Chemical Defence Establishment, Nancekuke.
	However, it is known that equipment was brought back to the UK from Germany after World War II and that some of this was used to set up the nerve agent pilot plant at Sutton Oak. It is probable that some of this equipment was subsequently transferred to Nancekuke, but there is no surviving documentary evidence.

Public-Private Partnerships

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the PPPs in which his Department is engaged.

Adam Ingram: PPPs cover a wide range of acquisition techniques from major partnering arrangements and PFI to a wide range of smaller scale service contracts. The Ministry of Defence only holds centrally comprehensive records for projects involving PFI.
	To date 42 PFI deals have been signed as follows:
	White Fleet (Support Vehicles) in Germany
	Special Storage Facilities
	Hazardous Stores Information System
	Materials Handling Equipment
	Training Administration and Financial Management System (TAFMIS)
	RAF White Fleet (Support Vehicles)
	Defence Helicopter Flying Training School
	Tidworth Water and Sewerage
	Hawk Aircrew Training Simulator
	Electronic Messaging Service (Armymail)
	Defence Fixed Telecommunications Services
	Medium Support Helicopter Aircrew Training Facility
	Armed Forces Personnel Administration Agency
	Joint Services Command and Staff College
	RAF Lyneham Sewerage
	RAF Fylingdales Power Supply
	Yeovilton Family Quarters
	RAF Mail
	RAF Cosford/Shawbury Family Quarters
	RAF Lossiemouth Family Quarters
	Attack Helicopter Training
	Light Aircraft Flying Training
	Central Scotland Family Quarters
	Naval Recruitment and Training Agency Fire Fighter Training
	Tornado GR4 Aircrew Simulator Training
	Army Foundation College
	Defence Intelligence Service Information Technology
	Commercial Satellite Communication Service
	Tri-Service Materials Handling
	Defence Animal Centre
	RAF Sentry E3D Aircrew Simulator Training
	Lynx Aircrew Simulator Training
	Defence Electronic Commerce Service
	Main Building Headquarters
	Royal Navy Communications Service
	Tri-Service White Fleet (Support Vehicles)
	Wattisham Family Quarters
	Defence Housing Executive Information System
	Astute Class Submarine Crew Simulator Training
	Bristol, Bath and Portsmouth Family Quarters
	Heavy Equipment Transporter
	Marine Support to Range and Aircrew Services.
	Three other projects have reached the preferred bidder stage. These are as follows:
	Colchester Garrison
	Field Electrical Power Supplies
	Roll-on Roll-off Strategic Sealift.
	Invitations to negotiate have been issued for the following:
	"C" (Earthmoving and Construction) Vehicles
	Armoured Vehicle (Synthetic) Training Service
	Army Training Estate Strategic Partnering
	Devonport Support Services
	Flight Simulation and Synthetic Trainers
	Future Strategic Tanker Aircraft
	Materials Handling Equipment (Follow on)
	MOD-wide Water and Wastewater (Project Aquatrine)—Package A
	Northwood Headquarters Support Services
	Records Storage and Management (Hayes PPP Project)
	Royal School of Military Engineers
	Royal School of Signals
	Skynet 5 Satellite Communications
	Tri-Service Airfield Support Services.
	The following projects have been advertised:
	Accommodation Services on Cyprus
	Air Traffic Control Services
	Combined Aerial Target Service
	Defence Sixth Form College
	Interim Storage of Laid Up Submarines (ISOLUS)
	MOD-wide Water and Wastewater (Project Aquatrine) Packages B and C
	Pan Defence High Frequency Communications Service.

Nuclear Materials

Jimmy Wray: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much (a) uranium and (b) plutonium is owned by this country.

Geoff Hoon: As stated in the Strategic Defence Review, Supporting Essay Five, the Ministry of Defence owns 21.9 tonnes of highly enriched uranium, 15,000 tonnes of other forms of uranium, and 7.6 tonnes of plutonium.

Army Cadet Force (South Tyneside)

Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many recruits there were to the Army Cadet Force in south Tyneside in (a) 1999, (b) 2000 and (c) 2001.

Lewis Moonie: Cadet recruitment figures are not held in the form requested. It is usual, however, for cadet detachments to recruit about 80 per cent. of their total strength each year. For the south Tyneside detachments this equates to approximately 100 new cadets each year.

Outreach Schemes

Nick Hawkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what support his Department (a) is giving and (b) will give in future years to the schemes for young offenders run by the Army Cadet Force leadership as Outreach.

Lewis Moonie: holding answer 4 February 2002
	The Outreach Project is run by the Army Cadet Force Association (ACFA) and aims to provide vulnerable and problem youngsters with the chance to develop a better attitude towards themselves and their communities. The programmes are run through the Army Cadet Force, in partnership with schools, local authorities and the police service, and offer challenging, adventure based activities.
	The Ministry of Defence is pleased to support such a worthwhile scheme and since its launch in 1996 we have given the project £114,400 annually. We will continue to provide support in the future. Last year the Home Office committed £60,000 annually to the project for at least the next two years and the Youth Justice Board is also giving the ACFA a one-off grant of £60,000 for facilities support. In addition, Army facilities are made available to the project at no cost.

Armed Forces Pension Scheme

Mark Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many local discussion groups were held to gather views and opinions on the proposed changes to the Armed Forces Pension Scheme up to 31 December 2001.

Adam Ingram: The Ministry of Defence held 17 focus groups during the initial research phase of the review. These took place in the south-east of England during November and December 1999 and covered all three services. During the consultation period (March 2001 to end July 2001), discussion groups took place at seven Army units, five Navy units and five RAF units throughout the country. Discussions were also held with ex-service organisations, such as the Confederation of British Service and Ex-Service Organisations (COBSEO), the Forces Pension Society, and the War Widows Association.

Warships

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if HMS Bulwark will have (a) a full crew complement, (b) full aircraft load, (c) vehicles and (d) a complete set of equipment when she comes into service; and if he will make a statement.

Lewis Moonie: At her planned in-service date of December 2003, HMS Bulwark will provide a significant improvement in capability over her predecessor.
	She will have a crew complement to enable her to conduct her trials and work-up periods and to fulfil her design capability when she becomes operational.
	There has never been a requirement for Bulwark to be equipped with her own organic aircraft. Aircraft will be embarked when they are required.
	When she enters service Bulwark will have a complete set of the necessary equipment. She will also have four landing craft utility, four of the smaller landing craft vehicle and personnel and a hippo (the new armoured beach recovery vehicle which is due to enter service in 2003).

Arthur Andersen

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what contracts he has with Arthur Andersen; when they were placed; how long they have to run; and what is their (a) individual and (b) total value.

Lewis Moonie: The Ministry of Defence has two current contracts with Arthur Andersen. Contract number DPT/2002 was placed in October 2000 and is due to complete in 2002. Contract number CP(PI)025/1 was placed in January 2002 and is due to complete in January 2006.
	In addition, Andersen provides Secretariat support to the Review Board for Government Contracts. There are no plans to terminate this support, as the company provides crucial continuity to a review of the Government Profit Formula that is currently being undertaken by the Treasury.
	Finally, there is some outstanding work for orders placed under a framework arrangement, for which the tasking period has now closed.
	The values of individual contracts are withheld under Exemption 13 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information, but the total value of the extant contracts is around £7 million.

RAF Bases

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the station operating budget was for each RAF base in the UK in the last year for which figures are available.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 1 February 2002
	The table shows the RAF operating budgets for each of the UK RAF stations for financial year 2001–02. It does not include former RAF stations that have retained their name but which have been transferred to the ownership of another part of the Ministry of Defence.
	
		£ million 
		
			 Station name Operating costs 
		
		
			 RAF Bentley Priory 5.9 
			 RAF Boscombe Down (Support Unit) 5.6 
			 RAF Boulmer 22.2 
			 RAF Brampton/Wyton 24.6 
			 RAF Brize Norton 144.7 
			 RAF Buchan 19.9 
			 RAF Coltishall 66.2 
			 RAF Coningsby 56.6 
			 RAF Cosford 62.3 
			 RAF Cottesmore 55.4 
			 RAFC Cranwell 97.3 
			 RAF Donna Nook 0.30 
			 RAF Fylingdales 15.7 
			 RAF Halton 31.0 
			 RAF Henlow 12.3 
			 RAF Holbeach 0.66 
			 RAF High Wycombe 15.8 
			 RAF Honington 71.8 
			 RAF Innsworth 14.0 
			 RAF Kinloss 112.4 
			 RAF Leeming 64.1 
			 RAF Leuchars 60.5 
			 RAF Linton-on-Ouse 29.0 
			 RAF Lossiemouth 96.5 
			 RAF Lyneham 126.3 
			 FSCTE Manston 4.5 
			 RAF Marham 95.6 
			 RAF Neatishead 14.1 
			 RAF Northolt 20.4 
			 RAF Pembrey Sands 0.25 
			 RAF Shawbury 21.7 
			 RAF Spadeadam 7.0 
			 RAF Stafford 31.4 
			 RAF St. Mawgan 45.7 
			 RAF Tain 0.93 
			 RAF Uxbridge 11.1 
			 RAF Valley 30.7 
			 RAF Waddington 77.2 
			 RAF Wainfleet 0.52 
			 RAF Wittering 48.4 
			 RNAS Yeovilton 16.6 
		
	
	The figures given in the table include the budget for any minor unit for which the station is responsible.

Long Service Pay

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to reduce the over 35 years of age restriction on accessibility to the long service advance of pay for Army and RAF personnel to over the age of 23.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 5 February 2002
	There are no plans at present to reduce the qualifying age for Army and RAF personnel, but the implications of doing so are being reviewed.

Tornado F3

Paul Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  where the Tornado F3s from RAF Coningsby will be based when 5 Squadron is declared down in January 2003; with which squadron they will be available for operational duty; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how many Tornado F3s will be based at (a) RAF Leeming, (b) RAF Leuchars, (c) RAF Coningsby and (d) other sites in February 2003; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 6 February 2002
	Aircraft from 5 Squadron will be re-distributed across the balance of the Tornado F3 fleet. The specific details of where all these aircraft will be relocated have yet to be finalised. All aircraft will remain available for operational duty.

Tornado F3

Paul Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Tornado F3s are based at (a) RAF Leeming, (b) RAF Leuchars, (c) RAF Coningsby and (d) other sites; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 6 February 2002
	The number of Tornado F3 aircraft allocated to the stations in question is currently: RAF Coningsby 37, RAF Leeming 28 and RAF Leuchars 28. Operational aircraft are not based at any other stations.

Tornado F3

Paul Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Tornado F3s are on loan to Italy; when they will be returned; where they will be based and with which squadron when returned; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 6 February 2002
	There are 24 Tornado F3 aircraft on loan to Italy all of which will be returned by December 2004. Their future on return is yet to be decided.

HMS Gannet

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the current establishment of civil search and rescue capability will be maintained at HMS Gannet, Prestwick after MOD withdrawal from the site.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 6 February 2002
	The Ministry of Defence are not withdrawing from HMS Gannet at Prestwick. HMS Gannet will remain a base for Royal Navy Search and Rescue helicopters, which will respond to civil incidents when tasked by the Air Rescue Co-ordination Centre.

Afghanistan

Ann Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what instructions British special forces have received from his Department on the transfer of prisoners to US forces.

Geoff Hoon: holding answer 5 February 2002
	I am withholding this information under Exemption 1 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information. Operational instructions are confidential, and are consistent with the United Kingdom's obligations under international law.

Aircraft

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 18 January 2002, Official Report, column 502W, whether C-17s have since then been used to transport cargo into Afghanistan; and whether another Antonov has been chartered since then.

Adam Ingram: The C-17 aircraft has been used since 18 January to transport cargo into Afghanistan and, under current plans, will continue to do so for the duration of the operation. Given the time scale and size of the task, we have continued to charter Antonovs since 18 January to supplement the RAF's airlift effort to deploy the UK's contribution to the International Security Assistance Force.

Aircraft

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what evidence he has of a threat to the C-130K in Afghanistan from small arms fire.

Adam Ingram: While we have no recorded incidents of small arms fire being directed at C-130Ks flying into Afghanistan, such an incident cannot be ruled out. Force protection measures appropriate to this threat have therefore been put in place.

Aircraft

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will fit lighting to the flight deck of the C-130Ks operational in Afghanistan which is compatible with night vision goggles; and what the cost is of fitting NVG compatible lighting to the C-130K.

Lewis Moonie: Details on the ability of the C-130K fleet to operate in low light could provide a potential adversary with information that could undermine our defence capabilities. This information is therefore withheld in accordance with Exemption 1 (Defence, Security and International Relations) of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.
	The cost of fitting night vision goggle compatible lighting to the C-130K is of the order of £80,000 per aircraft (VAT exclusive).

Aircraft

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he has had about fitting flight deck armour to the C-130Ks operational in Afghanistan.

Adam Ingram: The level of protection employed on the Hercules fleet could provide a potential adversary with information that could undermine our defence capabilities. I am therefore withholding this information in accordance with Exemption 1 (Defence, Security and International Relations) of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.

Aircraft

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to (a) lease further C-17s and (b) charter further Antonovs.

Adam Ingram: We have no current plans to lease further C-17s. We will continue to charter Antonov 124 aircraft as our strategic transport requirements dictate.

Aircraft

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the cost of fitting flight deck armour to the C-130K is.

Lewis Moonie: The cost is in the order of £150,000 per aircraft.

Jaguar Engine Upgrade

Paul Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the customer specifications requested for the upgrade of the Jaguar engine Adour 104; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: The Jaguar Adour Mk 106 weapon system specification includes an extensive and detailed engine technical specification. Much of the content is provided by industry under a confidentiality agreement which prevents the Ministry of Defence releasing the information to any third party. The information requested is withheld in accordance with Exemption 13 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information which relates to third party commercial confidences.

Jaguar Engine Upgrade

Paul Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will indicate in percentage terms the operational performance and operability of the (a) upgraded Jaguar engines Adour 104 and (b) the pre-upgraded Jaguar engines; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: In percentage terms, taking the current Adour Mk 104 engine performance as 100 per cent., the upgraded Adour Mk 106 engine provides an increase in thrust generating a performance level of 105 per cent. This increase enables the Jaguar aircraft to operate more effectively in hot climates and improves engine reliability.

Jaguar Engine Upgrade

Paul Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if the upgrade of the Adour 104 engine will be sufficient for the current and projected weapons payload; if a further upgrade of the Jaguar engine will be required before the end of the projected in-service lifespan; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: The Adour Mk 106 engine, which is the upgraded version of the Mk 104, will allow the Jaguar aircraft to meet its current and projected role for the remainder of its in-service life. No further engine upgrades are planned.

Departmental Underspend

Robert Syms: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the total underspend in his Department was on (a) capital and (b) non-capital expenditure in each financial year since May 1997.

Adam Ingram: I refer the hon. Member to the following appropriation accounts, which provide the data requested. Copies of these are available in the Library of the House.
	Appropriation Accounts 1997–98 Vol 1: Class 1 MOD, 26 Nov 1998, pps 10, 11, 12, (Vote 1) pps 23 and 31 (Vote 2) and p 32 (Vote 3).
	Appropriation Accounts 1998–99 Vol 1: Class 1 MOD, 19 Jan 2000, pps 10, 11, 12, (Vote 1) pps 23 and 29 (Vote 2) and p 30 (Vote 3).
	Appropriation Accounts 1999–2000 Vol 6: Class VI MOD, 24 Jan 2001, pps 9–11 (Vote 1).
	Appropriation Accounts 2000–2001 Vol 6: Class VI MOD, 23 Nov 2001, pps 11–14 (Vote 1).

KFOR

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many military personnel, and of what nationalities, were (a) directly and (b) indirectly under British command in KFOR on 1 January each year since June 1999.

Adam Ingram: The Commander of the Multi-National Brigade (Centre) is the senior British officer in KFOR. He had the following personnel under his operational control during the subject periods.
	
		
			 Countries 1 January 2000 1 January 2001 1 January 2002 
		
		
			 United Kingdom 2,112 3,353 2,889 
			 Canada 914 — — 
			 Czech Republic 162 170 168 
			 Finland 680 816 957 
			 Sweden 709 768 767 
			 Norway 961 1,010 999 
			 Latvia — 5 10

KFOR

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether members of the Royal Military Police are stationed in Kosovo.

Adam Ingram: 45 members of 110 Provost Company are currently stationed in Kosovo.

KFOR

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many British military personnel, and of what ranks, were directly under the command of personnel of other nationalities in KFOR on 1 January each year since June 1999.

Adam Ingram: British military personnel in KFOR are under the operational command of the UK Chief of Joint Operations. Operational control of most elements of the UK contribution is delegated to Commander KFOR, who has not been a UK officer since October 1999. Some individuals are seconded to posts in the NATO chain of command, where they come under more direct day to day command of a non-UK officer. The information cannot be provided in the form requested, however the table gives details available from records held.
	
		
			 Year HQ KFOR Kosovo HQ KFOR Fyrom 
		
		
			 September 2000 46 12 
			 February 2001 48 17 
			 January 2002 35 16 
		
	
	Details of rank are not available, but the majority will be officers.

KFOR

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the arrangements are for the command and control of British personnel seconded to UN policing duties in Kosovo; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: There are no UK military personnel currently conducting UN policing duties in Kosovo. However, there are currently Ministry of Defence police officers deployed in Kosovo as part of the UK Government commitment to the United Nations International Civil Policing Mission (UNMIK). The command and control arrangements for these officers are the responsibility of the United Nations Police Commissioner in Kosovo.

KFOR

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many civilian personnel, and of what nationality, were contracted (a) directly and (b) indirectly to British forces in KFOR on 1 January each year since June 1999.

Adam Ingram: The numbers of locally employed civilians engaged by UK forces in Kosovo are as follows:
	
		
			 Year Locally employed civilians 
		
		
			 1 January 2000 875 
			 1 January 2001 628 
			 1 January 2002 660 
		
	
	Records held do not indicate ethnic origin but the vast majority would be Kosovars.

TRANSPORT, LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND THE REGIONS

Remuneration

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will estimate the number of individuals in his (a) Department, (b) related agencies and (c) related non-departmental public bodies whose annual remuneration including benefits in kind exceeded (i) £100,000 and (ii) £200,000 in each of the last four years.

Alan Whitehead: Information on remuneration for senior staff is shown in the individually published audited accounts. Remuneration in respect of the financial year 2000–01 salaries are to be published in the DETR Resource Accounts, which are to be laid before Parliament by 31 January 2002.
	In respect of (a) and (b) , in each of the three earlier years 1997–98 to 1999–2000, one individual in DETR and one individual in the agencies received more than £100,000 but less than £200,000. Annual remuneration includes basic salary, allowances, bonuses and taxable benefits in kind. It does not include pension benefits.
	In respect of (c) on NDPBs, I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary, Cabinet Office on 29 January 2002, Official Report, column 253W.

Ministerial Transport

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what his estimate is of the cost of (a) ministerial cars and drivers and (b) taxis for his Department in each of the last four years.

Alan Whitehead: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 30 January 2002 by the Parliamentary Secretary, Cabinet Office, Official Report, columns 405–06W.
	Information on the cost of taxis by the Department is not held centrally and can be provided only at disproportionate cost. However, officials should use the most cost effective method when travelling on official business.

Euro

Kevin McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what assistance has been made available to local authorities to issue the payment of (a) bills and (b) services in euros and what discussions he has had with (i) local government representatives and (ii) the Treasury to review the limit set for local authorities regarding collection of their income in non-sterling.

Alan Whitehead: Details of the Government's preparations for the introduction of euro cash in the euro area from 1 January 2002 are contained in the Fifth Report on Euro Preparations. We recently drew local authorities' attention to the treatment of euro payments, making it clear that, as is the case with other major international currencies, it is a matter for individual authorities whether or not to accept payments for bills and services in non-sterling. There is no limit set for local authorities regarding the collection of their income in non-sterling.

Rail Strategic Plan

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions whether the £33.5 billion contribution to the costs of the SRA Strategic Plan by the public sector includes the public subsidy payments to the train operating companies.

David Jamieson: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to my hon. Friend the Member for Amber Valley (Judy Mallaber) on 29 January 2000, Official Report, columns 177–78W.

Rail Strategic Plan

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions 
	(1)  pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Edinburgh, West of 28 January 2002, Official Report, column 53W, what discussions he expects to have regarding aspects of the Strategic Rail Authority's strategic plan that directly relate to Scotland;
	(2)  pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Edinburgh, West of 28 January 2002, Official Report, column 53W, whether the Strategic Rail Authority has sought to have discussions with him with regards to aspects of the Strategic Rail Authority's strategic plan that directly relate to Scotland.

David Jamieson: Ministers and officials meet regularly with the Strategic Rail Authority to discuss rail issues including those that directly relate to Scotland.

Abandoned Vehicles

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions when he expects to publish the result of the recent consultation on abandoned vehicles.

David Jamieson: The DTLR/DEFRA consultation closed on 31 January. The Government expect to publish the outcome of the consultation shortly.

Rail Delays

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what record is kept of the total length in minutes of service delays on Britain's railways; what plans there are to change the method of recording and reporting delays and cancellations; and what assessment is made of the total cost of Britain's railways in terms of (a) customer time and (b) cost to British business.

David Jamieson: As to the first part of the question, Railtrack keep records of delay minutes. As to the second part, there are no plans to change the current method of recording and reporting delays and cancellations. As to the third part I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Epsom and Ewell (Chris Grayling) on 4 February 2002, Official Report, column 734W.

Rail Delays

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, pursuant to his answer of 19 December 2001, Official Report, column 524W, if he will place in the Library information on how many trains for each train operating company running London commuter services arrived late by (a) more than five minutes and (b) more than 10 minutes in each four week period from May 1997 to January 2002, distinguishing between (i) peak and (ii) off-peak periods caused by (a) Railtrack and (b) train operating companies.

David Jamieson: The information is not available in the form requested.

Rail Delays

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, pursuant to his answer of 19 December 2001, Official Report, column 524W, if he will place in the Library information on how many trains for each train operating company running London commuter services arrived late by (a) more than five minutes and (b) more than 10 minutes in each month from January 2000 to January 2002, distinguishing between (i) peak and (ii) off-peak.

David Jamieson: The information is not available in the form requested.

Rail Delays

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions 
	(1)  pursuant to his answer of 19 December 2001, Official Report, column 524W, if he will (a) place in the Library and (b) publish on the Strategic Rail Authority website the monthly punctuality of train operating companies;
	(2)  pursuant to his answer of 19 December 2001, Official Report, column 524W, if he will place in the Library information on how many trains for each train operating company arrived late by (a) more than five minutes and (b) more than 10 minutes in each four week period from May 1997 to January 2002, distinguishing between delays caused by (i) Railtrack and (ii) train operating companies.

David Jamieson: The information is not available in the form requested.

Train Operating Companies

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, pursuant to his answer of 11 December 2001, Official Report, column 787W, on train operating companies, if he will provide details of the most recent advice from the Strategic Rail Authority to which his Department has had regard; and how often the Strategic Rail Authority monitors the performance of train operating company parent companies.

David Jamieson: The Strategic Rail Authority monitors the performance of train operating companies, and their parent companies, on a continuous basis.

Public Highway Closures

John Gummer: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will list those public highways which have been permanently closed without due process in the last five years.

John Spellar: We have no record of cases over the last five years of public highways which have been permanently closed without due process.

Public Highway Closures

John Gummer: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions under what common law powers the police can permanently close a public highway to pedestrian and vehicular access.

John Spellar: The police do not have powers to close a public highway permanently under common law. They do, however, have powers under section 67 of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 to close a road or restrict its use by vehicles for up to seven days in emergencies.
	A highway may only be closed permanently by an order made by a magistrates court under section 116 of the Highways Act 1980 or, to facilitate development, by a competent authority under the provisions of sections 247 or 257 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990.

Government Offices (Access)

John Gummer: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions 
	(1)  under what statutory powers it is possible to seek redress for the closure of pedestrian access between St. James's Park and Downing street;
	(2)  what public notice has been given by the Metropolitan police for the permanent closure of Downing street to pedestrian and vehicular access.

John Spellar: I refer the right hon. Member to the answer given on 19 December 2001, Official Report, column 538W.

Airport Rail Links

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for North Tayside (Pete Wishart) of 28 January 2002, Official Report, column 54W, on airport rail links, what involvement he plans to have in the detailed economic and engineering studies being led by the Scottish Executive.

David Jamieson: The studies are for the Scottish Executive to take forward with the other organisations to which I referred in my previous answer.

Local Authority Housing

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what the total amount of money spent in real terms was by local authorities on housing repairs in each of the last 10 years.

Sally Keeble: holding answer 30 January 2002
	Capital and revenue expenditure by local authorities in England on repairs, renovations and improvements to their own stock, and capital grants to support private sector renewal, is as follows.
	
		Local authority expenditure on stock repairs, renovations and improvements: England -- £ million in 2000–01 prices
		
			  Local authority stock(5) Registered social landlord stock Private sector stock  
			  Capital expenditure Revenue expenditure Capital expenditure Capital expenditure Total expenditure 
		
		
			 1990–91 2,337 2,632 87 505 5,562 
			 1991–92 1,720 2,529 69 536 4,854 
			 1992–93 1,801 2,584 107 619 5,111 
			 1993–94 2,059 2,580 133 679 5,451 
			 1994–95 1,953 2,613 118 647 5,331 
			 1995–96 1,857 2,560 149 584 5,150 
			 1996–97 1,664 2,493 145 550 4,852 
			 1997–98 1,495 2,370 145 464 4,473 
			 1998–99 1,559 2,293 153 500 4,506 
			 1999–2000 1,456 2,166 157 465 4,245 
			 2000–01 1,787 2,074 200 423 4,485 
		
	
	(5) Local authority owned stock in this period declined from 3.9 million in March 1991 to just over 2.8 million in March 2001.
	Notes:
	1. Capital expenditure figures from 1994–95 onwards are expressed on an accruals basis: those for 2000–01 are provisional based on estimated components of reported total capital expenditure.
	2. Totals may not be consistent with the sum of components because of rounding.
	3. Elements of expenditure include:
	Local authority stock: All capital improvement, conversion, adaption and renewal work on Housing Revenue Account dwellings. Revenue expenditure on local authority stock reflects spending on repairs direct from the housing revenue account and contributions to the housing repairs account.
	Registered social landlord stock: Support for RSL schemes, including new-build projects, via LA social housing grant advances.
	Private sector stock: Renovation grants, disabled facilities grants and payments in relation to minor works assistance, group repair and renewal areas.
	Source:
	DTLR annual Housing Investment Programme returns, and subsidy claim forms

Pedestrian Traffic Accidents

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions which 10 local authority areas had (a) the highest and (b) the lowest number of pedestrian traffic accidents involving children in the last 12 months for which figures are available; and what percentage of the child population these figures represent in each case.

John Spellar: holding answer 30 January 2002
	The table shows the number of child pedestrians injured in road accidents, for the local authorities with the 10 highest and 10 lowest casualty numbers. The number of child pedestrian casualties in road accidents in any local authority can vary considerably from year to year, so the figures shown are averages for the most recent three years available.
	
		Child pedestrian casualties by local authority: GB -- 1998–2000 average data
		
			 Local authority (Highway) Casualties Percentage of child population injured 
		
		
			 Highest   
			 Birmingham 470 0.200 
			 Lancashire 391 0.169 
			 Kent 338 0.124 
			 Glasgow City 315 0.269 
			 Liverpool 297 0.308 
			 Bradford 278 0.247 
			 Leeds 274 0.189 
			 Essex 246 0.096 
			 Manchester 246 0.242 
			 Hampshire 216 0.086 
			
			 Lowest   
			 Monmouthshire 14 0.084 
			 Powys 14 0.058 
			 Moray 12 0.069 
			 Ceredigion 11 0.091 
			 Isle of Anglesey 11 0.083 
			 Rutland 6 0.077 
			 Eilean Siar(6) 4 0.075 
			 City of London 3 0.391 
			 Shetland Islands 1 0.026 
			 Orkney Islands 1 0.025 
		
	
	(6) Formerly known as the Western Isles

Arthur Andersen

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions on how many of his Department's PFI contracts Arthur Andersen has been an adviser; and if he will make a statement.

Alan Whitehead: Andersen has not advised my Department on any of its PFI contracts.

Arthur Andersen

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions on what dates since 7 June 2001 (a) Ministers and (b) special advisers in his Department have met employees of (i) Andersen and (ii) Accenture on official business; and if he will make a statement.

Alan Whitehead: Ministers and civil servants meet many people as part of the process of policy development and analysis. All such contacts are conducted in accordance with the Ministerial Code, the Civil Service Code and Guidance for Civil Servants: Contacts with Lobbyists. Some of these discussions take place on a confidential basis, and in order to preserve confidentiality, it is not the normal practice of Governments to release details of specific meetings with private individuals or companies.

Arthur Andersen

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions 
	(1)  how many contracts have been let to Arthur Andersen by his Department since 1997 on (a) matters relating to the railways and (b) other matters;
	(2)  pursuant to his answer of 8 January 2002, Official Report, column 584W, on departmental consultants, on what matters relating to Railtrack his Department is continuing to receive advice from Arthur Andersen.

Stephen Byers: holding answer 4 February 2002
	Individual Government Departments are responsible for taking decisions on the goods and services they acquire, whether through the Private Finance Initiative (PFI) or other procurement routes, taking into account the Government's policy of seeking value for money for the taxpayer. The public sector as a whole has signed hundreds of contracts, covering the delivery of a range of services.
	The number of contracts that have been let to Arthur Andersen since 1997 are as follows;
	(a) Two—on accountancy and taxation issues relating to the administration process and on the restructuring of Railtrack plc;
	(b) Three—two are framework agreements (framework agreements do not guarantee work; each firm on the agreement has to bid for individual tenders). One housing research project was also completed in 1999.

Rail Passengers

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, pursuant to his answer of 19 December 2001, Official Report, columns 534–55W, on measurement of passenger overcrowding, in what year the Strategic Rail Authority, or its shadow predecessor, began publishing annual results of "Passengers in Excess of Capacity"; for what reasons annual "Passengers in Excess of Capacity" information published on the SRA website is available only for selected years; and if he will place in the Library all available annual statistics on "Passengers in Excess of Capacity".

David Jamieson: These figures are available on the Strategic Rail Authority's website, except those for 1997 which were the first to be published and which pre-date the launch of the Office of Passenger Rail Franchising (Opraf) website. The figures for 1997 are:
	
		Percentage 
		
			 Company PIXC 
		
		
			 Chiltern 2.0 
			 Connex South Central 4.8 
			 Connex South Eastern 3.0 
			 Great Eastern 3.3 
			 LTS 0.6 
			 Silverlink 1.9 
			 South West Trains 3.8 
			 Thames Trains 2.1 
			 Thameslink 4.4 
			 WAGN 0.6 
		
	
	These figures have been published in Opraf and SRA annual reports, copies of which are available in the Library of the House.

Rail Safety

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, pursuant to his answer of 11 December 2001, Official Report, column 789W, on rail safety, if he will list those industry representatives with whom officials have had discussions, and their suggestions for action.

David Jamieson: As part of continuing action to track progress with the recommendations in the Southall action plan, officials from the Health and Safety Executive have had contact with Railtrack plc (in administration), Railway Safety and the Association of Train Operating Companies. The Health and Safety Commission will be publishing the action reported by industry in its next progress report.

Rail Franchise Operators

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, pursuant to his answer of 19 December 2001, Official Report, column 529W, on the rail industry, with what frequency the Strategic Rail Authority is required to publish its regular bulletin describing the performance of franchise operators; and what performance indicators the bulletin is required to describe.

David Jamieson: The draft directions and guidance which were put out for consultation on 29 June 2001 require the authority to
	" . . . publish a six-monthly bulletin describing, in terms that reflect the experience of passengers, the operating performance of franchise operators for the preceding period and their customer satisfaction levels."

Rail Track Conditions

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will make a statement on the inspection schedule used by Railtrack in their assessment of track conditions; what progress had been made towards completing the schedule since October 2000; and if he will make a statement.

David Jamieson: This is an operational matter for Railtrack, who say that all of their track has been inspected during 2001; and will be inspected in the current year. The frequencies and methods of inspection reflect the speed and annual tonnage of trains using the track and are set out in Railway Group Standard GC/RT 5021.

Transport Investment

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will provide a breakdown of the (a) public investment expenditure, (b) public resource expenditure, (c) private investment, (d) public expenditure supporting private investment and (e) public spending from local charging revenue planned for each year 2001–02 to 2010–11 as adjusted for changes in spending as a consequence of the publication of the Strategic Rail Authority Plan, subdivided between (i) strategic roads, (ii) rail, (iii) local transport, (iv) London, (v) other transport areas and (vi) unallocated at (A) outturn prices and (B) 2000–01 prices.

David Jamieson: The breakdowns requested are shown in Tables A to D, expressed in outturn prices, and in Tables E to H, expressed in 2000–01 prices.
	No decision has been made on the allocation of spending from local charging revenues, however a year by year breakdown for the period 2001–02 to 2010–11 is shown in Tables B (outturn prices) and F (2000–01 prices).
	
		10 year plan public expenditure and private investment—Table A: Public investment -- £ million outturn prices
		
			   2001–02  2002–03  2003–04  2004–05  2005–06  2006–07  2007–08  2008–09  2009–10  2010–11 2001–02 to 2010–11 
		
		
			 Strategic Roads 1,000 1,135 1,150 1,239 1,132 1,291 1,462 1,682 1,725 1,745 13,560 
			 Rail 625 1,448 2,521 2,438 2,934 2,671 2,212 1,312 1,221 1,245 18,627 
			 Local Transport 1,326 1,517 1,658 1,923 1,907 2,085 2,180 2,189 2,202 2,231 19,218 
			 London 1,015 762 932 894 730 689 700 687 698 715 7,822 
			 Other 119 62 62 62 62 62 62 62 62 63 681 
			 Unallocated 0 0 0 70 71 59 659 1,546 1,978 2,301 6,685 
			 Total 4,085 4,924 6,323 6,626 6,837 6,858 7,275 7,478 7,887 8,299 66,592 
		
	
	
		Table B: Public resource expenditure excluding revenue support for private investment -- £ million outturn prices
		
			   2001–02  2002–03  2003–04  2004–05  2005–06  2006–07  2007–08  2008–09  2009–10  2010–11 2001–02 to 2010–11 
		
		
			 Strategic Roads 415 433 479 536 550 499 522 513 505 525 4,975 
			 Rail 1,589 1,361 1,382 1,401 1,333 1,150 1,005 1,035 856 788 11,900 
			 Local Transport 2,733 2,864 2,932 2,996 3,044 3,095 3,135 3,191 3,239 3,293 30,521 
			 London 613 689 727 757 760 767 772 781 788 777 7,431 
			 Local Charging Revenue 0 0 0 153 313 359 399 452 502 508 2,686 
			 Other 132 128 135 149 151 153 155 157 159 161 1,480 
			 Unallocated 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Total 5,482 5,475 5,656 5,991 6,150 6,022 5,988 6,128 6,048 6,051 58,992 
		
	
	
		Table C: Private investment -- £ million outturn prices
		
			   2001–02  2002–03  2003–04  2004–05  2005–06  2006–07  2007–08  2008–09  2009–10  2010–11 2001–02 to 2010–11 
		
		
			 Strategic Roads 173 223 242 150 325 425 400 300 200 200 2,638 
			 Rail 3,655 3,747 3,787 3,956 3,158 3,147 3,116 3,168 3,254 3,359 34,347 
			 Local Transport 559 675 781 862 953 1,049 1,058 1,045 995 995 8,971 
			 London 722 704 657 610 1,047 1,440 1,632 1,475 1,251 825 10,364 
			 Other 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Unallocated 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Total 5,109 5,349 5,467 5,578 5,483 6,061 6,205 5,988 5,700 5,379 56,320 
		
	
	
		Table D: Revenue support for private investment -- £ million outturn prices
		
			   2001–02  2002–03  2003–04  2004–05  2005–06  2006–07  2007–08  2008–09  2009–10  2010–11 2001–02 to 2010–11 
		
		
			 Strategic Roads 206 220 239 261 353 447 454 517 604 609 3,910 
			 Rail 0 12 50 101 187 337 430 531 633 726 3,007 
			 Local Transport 0 0 8 27 57 102 162 237 312 387 1,292 
			 London 0 0 0 28 29 29 30 33 48 50 246 
			 Other 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Unallocated 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Total 206 232 297 417 626 915 1,076 1,318 1,597 1,772 8,455 
		
	
	
		Table E: Public investment -- £ million outturn prices
		
			   2001–02  2002–03  2003–04  2004–05  2005–06  2006–07  2007–08  2008–09  2009–10  2010–11 2001–02 to 2010–11 
		
		
			 Strategic Roads 976 1,080 1,068 1,122 1,000 1,113 1,230 1,380 1,381 1,363 11,714 
			 Rail 610 1,378 2,341 2,209 2,593 2,303 1,861 1,077 978 973 16,322 
			 Local Transport 1,294 1,444 1,540 1,742 1,686 1,798 1,834 1,797 1,763 1,743 16,639 
			 London 990 725 865 809 645 594 589 564 559 559 6,900 
			 Other 116 59 58 56 55 54 53 51 50 49 601 
			 Unallocated 0 0 0 63 63 51 555 1,269 1,584 1,797 5,382 
			 Total 3,985 4,687 5,872 6,002 6,043 5,913 6,121 6,138 6,315 6,483 57,559 
		
	
	
		Table F: Public resource expenditure excluding revenue support for private investment -- £ million outturn prices
		
			   2001–02  2002–03  2003–04  2004–05  2005–06  2006–07  2007–08  2008–09  2009–10  2010–11 2001–02 to 2010–11 
		
		
			 Strategic Roads 405 412 445 485 486 430 439 421 404 410 4,337 
			 Rail 1,550 1,295 1,283 1,269 1,178 992 845 849 685 616 10,564 
			 Local Transport 2,667 2,726 2,723 2,714 2,690 2,669 2,637 2,619 2,593 2,572 26,610 
			 London 598 656 675 686 672 661 650 641 631 607 6,476 
			 Local Charging Revenue 0 0 0 139 277 310 336 371 402 397 2,230 
			 Other 129 122 126 135 133 132 130 129 127 126 1,289 
			 Unallocated 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Total 5,349 5,211 5,252 5,428 5,436 5,193 5,037 5,030 4,843 4,727 51,506 
		
	
	
		Table G: Private investment -- £ million outturn prices
		
			   2001–02  2002–03  2003–04  2004–05  2005–06  2006–07  2007–08  2008–09  2009–10  2010–11 2001–02 to 2010–11 
		
		
			 Strategic Roads 169 212 225 136 287 366 337 246 160 156 2,294 
			 Rail 3,566 3,566 3,517 3,584 2,791 2,714 2,621 2,600 2,606 2,624 30,189 
			 Local Transport 546 642 725 781 842 905 890 858 797 777 7,762 
			 London 704 670 610 553 926 1,242 1,373 1,211 1,002 644 8,935 
			 Other 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Unallocated 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Total 4,985 5,091 5,077 5,053 4,846 5,226 5,220 4,915 4,564 4,202 49,180 
		
	
	
		Table H: Revenue support for private investment -- £ million outturn prices
		
			   2001–02  2002–03  2003–04  2004–05  2005–06  2006–07  2007–08  2008–09  2009–10  2010–11 2001–02 to 2010–11 
		
		
			 Strategic Roads 201 209 222 236 312 385 382 424 484 476 3,332 
			 Rail 0 11 46 92 165 291 362 436 507 567 2,477 
			 Local Transport 0 0 8 24 50 88 136 195 250 302 1,053 
			 London 0 0 0 26 25 25 25 27 38 39 205 
			 Other 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Unallocated 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Total 201 221 276 378 553 789 905 1,081 1,279 1,384 7,067

Southall Rail Inquiry Recommendations

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions when the Health and Safety Commission will issue its next progress report on its action plan to implement the recommendations of the Southall Rail Accident Inquiry report.

David Jamieson: The HSC aims to publish by mid-April a report on the industry's progress on the action plan to February 2002. This will cover the two year period proposed by Professor Uff for implementing the report's recommendations.

Integrated Transport Policy

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, pursuant to his answer of 19 December 2001, Official Report, column 536W, on Transport Direct, what research has been conducted for his Department's reviewing policy on (a) travel information and (b) retailing; and if he will make a statement.

David Jamieson: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 19 December 2001, Official Report, column 536W.

London Underground

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how much was spent in each of the last five years by London Underground Ltd. on renewal and improvement of train signals and related equipment; what is the extent of signal renewal necessary over the next five years; what he expects will be undertaken and completed; and if he will make a statement.

David Jamieson: London Underground advise that the following has been spent on the renewal and improvement of train signals and related equipment in each of the last five years:
	
		
			 Year £ million 
		
		
			 1996–97 16.7 
			 1997–98 14.4 
			 1998–99 27.9 
			 1999–2000 30.1 
			 2000–01 25.7 
		
	
	The Tube Modernisation plans are designed to achieve a comprehensive modernisation of the entire underground network. This is necessarily a long-term programme and there is a limit on the amount of work that can be done simultaneously without causing excessive disruption to the service to the public. The overall requirements have therefore been specified by London Underground to renew signalling equipment over time, prioritised to deliver the greatest benefits as quickly as possible. The detailed requirements will be published by London Underground shortly.

London Underground

Geraint Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will make a statement on the London Underground PPPs.

Stephen Byers: The Board of London Regional Transport has today announced that it is minded to proceed with its plans for the modernisation of London Underground. It will now consult the Mayor of London and Transport for London as required under the terms of S298 of the Greater London Authority Act 1999. At the request of the Mayor and Transport for London, London Regional Transport has offered to extend the period of consultation until 8 March.
	The Board of London Regional Transport has undertaken a thorough evaluation of the bids to assess whether they are likely to provide value for money. It is confident they would do so and that the proposed contracts would provide an appropriate basis for the future management of the London underground infrastructure.
	The contracts envisage a long-term partnership between London Underground and three private sector infrastructure companies who will take over responsibility for maintaining and upgrading the network. The private sector will be committed, under contract, to deliver specific improvements and will be incentivised appropriately. If they fail to do so they will be penalised. Persistent inability on the part of infrastructure companies to meet their obligations could lead to their contracts being terminated.
	I have taken separate independent advice from Ernst and Young. Ernst and Young have confirmed to me that the process followed by London Underground's evaluation team has been suitably robust and that London Underground's recommendation that the PPP proposals deliver value for money is a subjective one which is supported by its analysis. A copy of Ernst and Young's report has been placed in the Library of the House and is available on my Department's website.
	I will of course take full account of Ernst and Young's findings. In particular, I agree with Ernst and Young that the Arbiter, whom I will appoint in accordance with the Greater London Authority Act 1999, should be resourced to be fully effective, and I will ensure that is the case. And I agree with Ernst and Young that the final decision to go ahead should be conditional upon, among other things, the final prices and risk transfer proposals submitted by the bidders not altering materially prior to financial close.
	Depending on the outcome of the statutory consultation, the Board of London Regional Transport would be likely to take a final decision on whether or not to proceed with its modernisation plans for the London underground in the middle of March.
	The safety case still has to be accepted by the Health and Safety Executive. The proposals will not proceed unless this acceptance is obtained.

Ordnance Survey

Ian Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will make a statement on (a) the current and (b) the planned proportions of Ordnance Survey's investment in the Digital National Framework which are based on (i) partnerships with the private sector and (ii) National Interest Mapping Services Agreement funding.

Sally Keeble: Ordnance Survey's partnership arrangements with the private sector have not contributed to the investment in the Digital National Framework (DNF). Ordnance Survey's plans include working with the private sector in developing the content of the DNF in future.
	By the end of 2001–02, funding under the terms of NIMSA will have contributed approximately half of the investment in the DNF. This has enabled complete national coverage with accelerated delivery. No further NIMSA contribution is planned.

National Air Traffic Services

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will publish the advice provided to his Department by the Civil Aviation Authority on the sale of National Air Traffic Services.

David Jamieson: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given to the hon. Member for Epsom and Ewell (Chris Grayling) on 30 January 2002, Official Report, column 327W.

National Air Traffic Services

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what representations he has received from the Airline Group on the funding requirements for the future of air traffic control services.

David Jamieson: Officials from my Department and the Treasury have been, and continue to be, involved in discussions with the Airline Group and other relevant parties about the financial position of National Air Traffic Services.

Air Traffic

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what his estimate is of the change in air traffic in the UK since 11 September.

David Jamieson: My Department has not made an estimate and the latest available published monthly traffic data from the Civil Aviation Authority, which is the most comprehensive UK source, is October for airports and September for airlines. However, more recent data are available for some airports and airlines, primarily BAA airports and BA. The most appropriate measure of change is that over the same period in 2000. These show that there has been a recovery in passenger numbers, but not air transport movements, in December 2001.
	
		Traffic changes in 2001 compared with same period in 2000 -- Percentage
		
			  BAA BA 
			  Passengers Air transport movements Passengers 
		
		
			 April-August 1.4 4.0 -2.5 
			 September -6.0 0.8 -11.0 
			 October -12.0 0.3 -14.6 
			 November -10.6 -4.0 -11.5 
			 December -6.4 -4.8 -8.5 
			 September-December -8.8 -1.8 -11.7 
		
	
	The impact has not been uniform across all segments of the market, with transatlantic services experiencing the most severe decline. The low cost carriers have continued to experience passenger growth since 11 September.

City Challenge

Andrew Bennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many of the dwellings built or improved under the city challenge scheme for 1992 to 1998 are still occupied.

Sally Keeble: Under the former City Challenge programme, which operated from 1992 to 1998, over 110,000 dwellings were improved or completed in the 31 partnership areas. Information on how many of these dwellings are still occupied is not available centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate expense.

Railtrack

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, pursuant to his answer of 30 January 2002, Official Report, column 321W, ref 26291, what specialist credentials Schroder Salomon Smith Barney have that rendered them suitable for this work; and what tendering process took place to select advisers.

John Spellar: holding answer 4 February 2002
	Schroder Salomon Smith Barney has a well established track record advising companies and the UK Government on a wide range of corporate finance transactions including corporate restructuring. Regarding the tendering process, I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State to the hon. Member for Maidenhead (Mrs. May) on 25 January 2002, Official Report, column 1103W.

Railtrack

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, pursuant to his answer of 30 January 2002, Ref 28541, Official Report, column 320W, if he will list the schemes that have been previously identified and those which have not.

John Spellar: holding answer 4 February 2002
	The information is not available in the form requested.

Railtrack

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, pursuant to his answer of 30 January 2002, ref 30241, Official Report, column 320W, which SRA officials are participating in the bid team; and on what contractual basis.

John Spellar: holding answer 4 February 2002
	No SRA officials are participating in the bid team.

Railtrack

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions where information is (a) held and (b) presented, regarding the total weekly rail delays, in minutes, caused by (i) Railtrack and (ii) train operating companies.

David Jamieson: Railtrack keep records of delay minutes.

Congestion Scheme

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what assessment his Department has made of the impact of the proposed Central London congestion scheme on public transport and road congestion in areas immediately outside London.

John Spellar: holding answer 4 February 2002
	The Department's assessment in relation to trunk roads and motorways is that effects outside the Greater London boundary are likely to be small.
	Assessment of the effects on other roads are for the local traffic authorities concerned to consider in the first instance.

Data Protection Act

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many requests the Department has received under the Data Protection Act 1988 for (a) electronically held information and (b) paper documentation.

Alan Whitehead: The central Department has received, all told, nine external requests for electronically held personal data and one for manually held records.
	The Department's policy with regard to subject access requests from members of staff is to provide subject access to both manual and electronic records for every such request. Fifty-three subject access requests have been received to date from members of the Department's staff.

Data Protection Act

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what administration fees are charged by the Department for information requests made under the Data Protection Act 1998.

Alan Whitehead: The standard administration charge made by the Department for information requests from members of the public is £10. There is no charge for requests by present and former members of staff for access to their personal records.

Data Protection Act

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions 
	(1)  what the Department's procedure is for responding to requests for information under the Data Protection Act 1998; if he will place a copy in the Library; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what the policy of the Department is for ensuring responses to requests for information under the Data Protection Act 1998 are completed within 40 days; and what their procedure is to achieve this.

Alan Whitehead: All external subject access requests to the Department are routed to a central unit responsible for co-ordinating responses. From the information accompanying each request, the request is then forwarded to those parts of the Department which are considered likely to be in possession of personal data of the sort requested. The request will be accompanied by an instruction to trawl through electronic and, where specified, appropriately structured manual records held in those areas of the Department, and return to the co-ordinating unit copies of all personal references uncovered in the course of the trawl.
	These references generally provide a certain amount of context to make them intelligible. The co-ordinating unit finally combines these individual references into a single set of attachments to a covering reply letter, deleting all references to third parties (where permission to reveal such third party references has not been forthcoming) in the document copies being supplied to the applicant.
	All internal subject access requests from staff members are sent to a focal point in Human Resources. Action is initiated by the Data Protection Officer on the day the application is received. An appointment is arranged usually within two weeks of the application for the member of staff to have access to his or her records. Performance is monitored daily to ensure compliance with the set period.

Data Protection Act

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many responses the Department has completed to requests for information made under the Data Protection Act 1998 for (a) electronically held information and (b) paper documentation.

Alan Whitehead: The central Department has completed six external requests for electronically held personal data and one for manually held records. The Department's policy with regard to subject access requests from members of staff is to provide subject access to both manual and electronic records for every such request. 51 subject access requests from members of the Department's staff have been completed to date.

Data Protection Act

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what the longest period of time elapsed is between receiving (a) the administration fee and providing the information requested and (b) a request for information and providing the information requested, under the Data Protection Act 1998.

Alan Whitehead: In respect of (a) 82 days and in respect of (b) 98 days.

Data Protection Act

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many responses to requests for information under the Data Protection Act 1998 have been completed (a) within 40, (b) between 40 and 60 and (c) over 60 days after receiving the original letter; and how many are outstanding.

Alan Whitehead: As regards external subject access requests, two responses have been completed within 40 days, three between 40 and 60 days, and two over 60 days, after receipt of the original request letter. In addition, one is outstanding.
	Of 53 subject access requests received from members of the Department's staff, 50 have been responded to within 40 days. Two are outstanding.

Data Protection Act

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what percentage of responses to requests for information under the Data Protection Act 1998 the Department has completed (a) within 40 days of receipt of the £10 fee, (b) between 40 and 60 days of and (c) over 60 days after receiving the administration fee.

Alan Whitehead: 83 per cent. of external subject access requests have been completed within 40 days, and the remaining 17 per cent. in over 60 days, after receipt of the administration fee. No administration fee is charged for requests from members of the Department's staff.

Data Protection Act

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what his estimate is of the average cost of processing each information request under the Data Protection Act 1998.

Alan Whitehead: Costs are incurred in a number of areas of the Department and vary widely between requests. It is therefore not possible to give an average cost of processing each information request.

Data Protection Act

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many responses to requests for information under the Data Protection Act 1998 the Department has completed (a) within 40 days of receipt of, (b) between 40 and 60 days of receiving and (c) over 60 days after receiving the £10 administration fee.

Alan Whitehead: As regards external subject access requests, five responses have been completed within 40 days, and one over 60 days, after receipt of the administration fee. One case is outstanding.
	No fee is charged for requests by present and former members of staff for access to their personal records. Of 51 completed subject access requests from members of the Department's staff, 50 have been responded to within 40 days.

Transport 10-Year Plan

Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions 
	(1)  when the total transport 10-year plan financial envelope was increased from £179.7 billion to £181.9 billion; and when and by what means the increase was first announced;
	(2)  pursuant to his oral statement of 29 January 2002, Official Report, column 149, on the 10-year plan financial envelope, if he will bring forward a supplementary estimate; and if he will make a statement.

John Spellar: holding answer 5 February 2002
	My Department will seek the resources necessary to deliver the 10-year plan through the normal supply procedures.
	The bulk of the additional £2.2 billion was agreed and announced to the House on 2 April 2001, Official Report, column 8. A number of other changes to the 10-year plan expenditure envelope have been made since publication of the plan, resulting in the overall increase to £181.9 billion announced to the House on 29 January 2002.

Transport 10-Year Plan

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions when he secured an additional £2.2 billion of funding from the Treasury for the 10-year transport plan; and if he will make a statement.

John Spellar: My Department will seek the resources necessary to deliver the 10-year plan through the normal supply procedures.
	The bulk of the additional £2.2 billion was agreed and announced to the House on 2 April 2001, Official Report, column 8. A number of other changes to the 10-year plan expenditure envelope have been made since publication of the plan, resulting in the overall increase to £181.9 billion announced to the House on 29 January 2002.

Liquid Petroleum Gas

Gwyn Prosser: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what plans he has to extend the eligibility for transport action powershift grants for converting cars over five years old to use LPG.

John Spellar: .

Agricultural Buildings

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what plans he has to review the rating of agricultural buildings to ensure that those who perform more than 10 per cent. of their activities as contract farmers on other farms are rated on their agricultural building.

Alan Whitehead: On 16 February 2001 we published a consultation paper on extending the agricultural exemption from non-domestic rates to cover all land and buildings used for contract farming, share farming and machinery rings, as well as such land and buildings used by farmers in connection with their own farm. In the Local Government White Paper "Strong Local Leadership—Quality Public Services", published 11 December 2001, we said that we would implement those proposals, subject to the necessary primary legislation, which we will introduce when parliamentary time allows.

Urban Green Spaces Taskforce

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions 
	(1)  if the final report from the Urban Green Spaces Taskforce will be published in April this year as planned;
	(2)  what progress has been made since the publication of the interim report from the Urban Green Spaces Taskforce; and if he will make a statement.

Sally Keeble: Since the publication of its interim report, the Urban Green Spaces Taskforce has made good progress in carrying out its work as programmed in the report. Our current plans are to publish the final report of the task force in April, which will be followed by the Government's policy response in July.

Planning Applications

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what the average time was to process planning applications by each planning authority in England over the last 12 months.

Sally Keeble: The information needed to determine the average time for planning applications to be processed is collected centrally only for a small number of applications mainly relating to mineral extraction and waste disposal (known as "county matters"). These applications, which account for less than 1 per cent. of all planning applications, are often complex and take some time to determine.
	The speed at which decisions are made for the vast majority of planning applications, ie all except "county matters", is measured in terms of the proportion of decisions determined within eight weeks and within 13 weeks. In the year ending September 2001, 63 per cent. of these applications in England were determined within eight weeks and 83 per cent. within 13 weeks.
	More detailed information for each local authority in England on how quickly they process planning applications (using the eight and 13 week criteria) is published by the Department of Transport, Local Government and the Regions in its quarterly Statistics of Planning Applications Bulletin and its annual Development Control Statistics Report. Copies are available in the Libraries of the House.

Debt

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how much British Railways' debt was extinguished by the Government in the six months before rail privatisation.

John Spellar: On 29 March 1996 £1,229 million of debt owed by Railtrack to the National Loans Fund was cancelled and on 30 March 1996 Railtrack's obligations in respect of a further £230 million owed to the Passenger Transport Executives (PTEs) were transferred to DoA Ltd., a company wholly owned by the Secretary of State for Transport. Also, on 29 March 1996 Railtrack issued debentures acknowledging indebtedness to HM Government of £589 million. With the exception of a £4 million repayment of debt, these debentures were subsequently sold by HM Government in the bond markets.

Open Skies Agreement

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions whether the Government retain the right to negotiate an open skies agreement to the USA following the ruling of the European Court; and if he will make a statement.

John Spellar: We do not yet have a ruling from the European Court of Justice. That is probably some months away. What we do have is the Opinion issued on 31 January by the Advocate General which comprises his advice to the Court. According to his Opinion it remains open to member states to negotiate and conclude open skies agreements with the United States subject to meeting their obligations under Community law.

Policy Development Grants

Clive Soley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions when he intends to make an order empowering the Electoral Commission to make payments of policy development grants to eligible parties; and if he will make a statement.

Alan Whitehead: I have today laid before Parliament an order, making provision for a scheme, which gives effect to recommendations, submitted by the Electoral Commission to the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions on 4 October 2001, but with modifications agreed with the Commission. The amount of money available for allocation by the Commission in each year for which the scheme has effect is £2 million.

KCC Speed Interactive Signs

Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions when his Department will issue type approval for KCC speed interactive signs; and if he will make a statement.

John Spellar: We hope to be in a position to resolve the type approval issues and issue guidance on the use of speed activated signs later in the year.

Business Rates (Farms)

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how the amount that farmers incur in business rates when undertaking contractual work is calculated.

Dawn Primarolo: holding answer 6 February 2002
	I have been asked to reply.
	The amount farmers incur in business rates, if they undertake contract farming work, is calculated by reference to the rateable value, as determined by the Valuation Officer, multiplied by the business rate poundage (currently 43.0 pence in the pound).
	The Valuation Officer calculates rateable values in accordance with the definition contained within the Local Government Finance Act 1988. Broadly speaking, this is the rental value of the property, vacant and to let, at the valuation of 1 April 1998. The Valuation Officer will base his or her valuation on rental evidence of similar buildings in the local area or by reference to the closes comparison.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Parthenon Marbles

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent representations she has received from the Government of Greece concerning the return to Athens of the Parthenon marbles; and if she will make a statement.

Tessa Jowell: I received a letter from the Greek Minister for Culture, Mr. Evangelos Venizelos, in June 2001 to which I replied emphasising the importance of cultural connections between Britain and Greece. In connection with the Parthenon Sculptures I reminded the Minister of the position of Her Majesty's Government, which had recently been restated by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister, namely that it is our view that the sculptures were acquired legally and that they are best housed in the British Museum in a multi-cultural context, seen free of charge by up to 5 million visitors a year.
	It may also be helpful to be clear about the responsibility of the British Museum for the Sculptures. The Trustees have a statutory duty to protect their collections and this duty could only be over-ridden by primary legislation amending Section 5 of the British Museum Act 1963, relating to the disposal of objects in the collections.

Overseas Trips

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will list each of the overseas trips made by herself and other members of her ministerial team in each of the last four years specifying the purpose and cost of each trip.

Kim Howells: I refer the hon Member to the answer given to him by my right hon Friend the Deputy Prime Minister on Monday 4 February, Official Report, column 707W.

Export Licences

David Heathcoat-Amory: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent discussions she has had with the European Commission about raising the sterling threshold for the requirement for export licences for cultural goods; and if she will make a statement.

Kim Howells: My right hon. Friend the Minister for the Arts and DCMS officials use every available opportunity to press for the limits to be updated at least in line with inflation, as provided in Council Regulation (EEC) 3911/92 on the export of cultural goods. We have also welcomed the Commission's new initiatives to contribute to the effective functioning of the mechanisms set up by the Regulation, including making the maximum use of new technologies to improve its implementation.

Export Licences

David Heathcoat-Amory: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the estimated projected annual increase is in the number of export licences for cultural goods consequential on the decision by the EU Commission to leave the EU monetary threshold unchanged.

Kim Howells: The effect of the EC Commission's decision to leave the thresholds unchanged has been to increase the number of licences issued by 69 per cent. between 1993 and 2000.

Sporting Events

Andy Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps she is taking to put in place a strategy to implement her Department's role in attracting world class sporting events.

Richard Caborn: The PIU have been asked by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister to carry out a joint study with DCMS examining long term sports policy. It will consider the roles and responsibilities of Government, the private and voluntary sectors in helping sport better achieve the objectives of increased grassroots participation in sport and elite sporting excellence. The PIU project team will seek to clarify the roles and responsibilities and interventions of Government to help sport better achieve its own objectives and develop an overall strategy for guiding Government's decisions on sports policy, including major events; in the context of Government's own wider objectives.

Millennium Experience

Tim Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport 
	(1)  what methods were considered to dispose of items from the millennium experience;
	(2)  if she will list the items from the millennium experience that were disposed of other than by sale by the New Millennium Experience Company, stating for each one (a) its original purchase price, (b) its estimated value at time of sale, (c) the amount it was sold for, (d) its method of disposal and (e) the reason for that method of disposal;
	(3)  if she will list the items from the millennium experience offered for sale by the New Millennium Experience Company stating for each (a) the original purchase price, (b) the estimated value at time of sale, (c) the number of bids received, (d) the amount of the highest bid, (e) whether the item was sold to the highest bidder and where it was not to give a reason and (f) the amount it was sold for;
	(4)  how many bids for items from the millennium experience offered for sale by the New Millennium Experience Company were (a) not honoured and (b) bogus;
	(5)  if she will publish the total (a) estimated value of and (b) final price received for, the items from the millennium experience offered for sale by the New Millennium Experience Company.

Kim Howells: holding answer 24 January 2002
	Some 17,000 items were offered for sale by NMEC in an auction organised by Henry Butcher International held between 27 February and 2 March 2001. Henry Butcher valued these items at a total of £2 million. Around 10,500 of these items were sold in the auction and these were sold to the highest bidders in each case. As is the case at many auctions, a small proportion of the items were not paid for, and hence not collected, by successful bidders. Total income received from auction sales which were concluded was £3.5 million. Some 450 items were withheld from the sale because they were felt to be of use to a future owner of the dome. It was subsequently decided to sell these items, and items which had not sold in the auction, by private treaty. It was felt that this was more cost effective than seeking to hold a second auction. Henry Butcher International was retained to advise on the private treaty sales and benchmarked rates against auction prices in order to ensure value for money and tenders were sought for major items. Sales by private treaty realised £1 million. A feature of NMEC's balance sheet was that many assets purchased or developed for the millennium experience were unique to the dome. The costs to develop or buy these bespoke assets were much higher than the subsequent realisable values and it was always recognised that the auction would cover only a fraction of those creation costs. The total received by NMEC for the sale of assets in the auction and by private treaty was therefore £4.5 million. A further £1.3 million was achieved by the sale of certain assets to original suppliers under terms of contracts with NMEC. Not all the detailed information requested about the individual assets is available. The remainder is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Free Television Licences

Mike Wood: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport 
	(1)  how many pensioner households in England and Wales receive a free television licence;
	(2)  what was the cost of providing free television licences to pensioner households in England and Wales in the last 12 months.

Kim Howells: TV Licensing, which administers for the BBC as Licensing Authority the free television licence concession for the over-75s, is not able to provide a breakdown by nation of the number of free licences currently in force in the United Kingdom. However, in the 12 months to December 2001, 3.398 million free licences were issued in England and Wales. The cost of these licences was £335 million, excluding administrative costs.
	The cost of administering the concession in England and Wales cannot be disaggregated from the total for the United Kingdom, since much of it is systems-related and applies to the scheme as a whole. The estimated cost of administering the scheme throughout the United Kingdom in the months to December 2001 was £10.1 million.

Departmental Retirement Ages

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will list the retirement ages that apply to the employees of her Department and its agencies, including how many and which categories of employees are affected by each; and if she will make a statement on her Department's policy on flexible retirement.

Kim Howells: The normal retirement age for all staff in the Department is 60. In the Royal Parks Agency the normally retirement age for staff is 60, except for the following:
	Staff with reserved rights, covered by the 20/60 rule whereby they can stay until they have completed 20 years services or reached age 65, whichever is the earlier:
	Royal Parks Police: eight
	Non-uniformed staff: four
	Staff covered by reserved rights, following non-industrialisation of posts, to remain employed until their 65th birthday:
	Wildlife Officers: five
	Where there are management reasons justifying an extension beyond the 60th birthday, not normally for more than a year. Management Board level approval is required:
	Non-uniformed staff: one.
	DCMS and its agency are reviewing their retirement policy following the recommendations of the PIU "Winning the Generation Game" report.

Ticket Sales (London)

Mark Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment she has made as to the effect of the events of 11 September on (a) theatre ticket and (b) museum ticket sales in the Cities of London and Westminster; and if she will make a statement.

Kim Howells: I have asked the Society of London Theatres, National Gallery, Tate Britain and Museum of London to provide this information. When it is available, my right hon. and noble Friend the Minister for the Arts will write to the hon. Member, and place a copy of her letter in the Libraries of both Houses.

Fair Trade Fortnight

Mark Lazarowicz: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps she is taking to encourage participation by her Department in fair trade fortnight from 4 to 17 March.

Kim Howells: The Department has no specific formal participation in fair trade fortnight although some NDPBs may be publicising the event within their own activities. My Department centrally supports the aim of fair trade and seeks to influence the supply chain to utilise fair trade produce wherever possible. A display is being considered for our own staff restaurant and the caterers have been encouraged to mark the event with more than their usual fair trade menus.

Arts Funding

Tim Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when she will respond to the progress report she received on 29 November 2001 about the Arts Council of England's proposals to merge the regional arts boards to create a single organisation for arts funding; and if she will place a copy of her response in the Library.

Kim Howells: holding answer 4 February 2002
	My right hon. and noble Friend the Minister for the Arts responded on behalf of the Secretary of State to the Arts Council's latest proposals for a single organisation for arts funding on 21 December 2001. I am arranging for copies of the letter to be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

Special Advisers

Tim Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make a statement on the responsibilities of her special advisers.

Tessa Jowell: holding answer 4 February 2002
	The responsibilities of my special advisers are set out in the model contract for special advisers. Special advisers are employed to help Ministers on matters where the work of Government and the work of the Government Party overlap and it would be inappropriate for permanent civil servants to become involved. They are an additional resource for the Minister providing advice from a standpoint that is more politically committed and politically aware than would be available to a Minister from the civil service.

IT Contracts

Richard Younger-Ross: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what has been the total expenditure of his Department on IT systems and support in each year from May 1997 to date; how many IT contracts have been let in each of those years; of the other main contracting party in each of those contracts, how many have been (a) companies whose registered office is in (i) England and Wales, (ii) Scotland and (iii) Northern Ireland and (b) foreign companies; and what are the names of the companies falling within category (a).

Kim Howells: Total expenditure on IT systems and support broken down annually from May 1997 is as follows:
	
		
			  £ million 
		
		
			 1997–98 1.9 
			 1998–99 2.1 
			 1999–2000 3.3 
			 2000–01 3.6 
			 2001–02 3.1 
		
	
	The number of IT contracts let and relevant companies per year is as follows:
	
		
			  Company Number 
		
		
			 1997–98 BT, Maine and Vodafone 4 
			 1998–99 BT, and Project Telecom 2 
			 1999–2000 BT 2 
			 2000–01 BT 1 
			 2001–02 BT 3

Contracts

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many contracts were let by her Department and agencies for which she is responsible to (a) PWC Consulting or PricewaterhouseCoopers, (b) Ernst & Young, (c) Deloitte & Touche, (d) KPMG and (e) Andersen for consultancy services for the financial years (i) 1997–98, (ii) 1998–99, (iii) 1999–2000, (iv) 2000–01 and (v) 2001 to the latest date for which figures are available, indicating the remuneration in each case.

Kim Howells: My Department has let the following contracts:
	
		
			 Year Consultancy £ 
		
		
			 1998–99 Deloitte & Touche 227,000 
			 1998–99 KPMG 23,000 
			 1999–2000 PricewaterhouseCoopers 68,000 
			 2000–01 PricewaterhouseCoopers 61,000 
			 2000–01 PricewaterhouseCoopers 22,000 
			 2001–02 PricewaterhouseCoopers 96,000

Royal Parks Constabulary

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport 
	(1)  what legal advice she has sought on the policy in the Royal Parks constabulary to set retirement age levels depending on length of service;
	(2)  whether it is her policy to permit some officers in the Royal Parks constabulary to work until 65 years of age and not others; and if she will make a statement.

Kim Howells: Responsibility for the subject of these questions has been delegated to the Royal Parks Agency and I have asked its Chief Executive, William Weston, to reply.
	Letter from William Weston to Mr. Chris Grayling, dated 7 February 2002
	I have been asked by the Secretary of State for Culture Media and Sport to reply to your Parliamentary Questions about the retirement age of officers of the Royal Parks Constabulary, as this is an operational matter which has been delegated to the Royal Parks Agency.
	Prior to 1st January 1994 the normal retirement age for officers was 60, but those with less than 20 years service can work until they have completed 20 years service or reached the age of 65, whichever is the sooner, subject to continued satisfactory performance.
	Under an agreement with the Trade Union, all officers recruited after 1st January 1994 retire at the age of 60, regardless of their length of service, in line with the standard conditions for non-uniformed staff in the Agency.
	The Agency has not sought legal advice on this matter.

Lost/Stolen Property

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will list those items valued at less than £50 each which have been stolen or lost from her Department in each of the last four years.

Kim Howells: All thefts and losses by fraud are immediately reported as security breaches. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has only had cause to report the theft of six SIMM memory modules in 2001 and one mobile telephone charger in 2002. There have been no reported losses of lower value items other than those stated.

Rugby League/Rugby Union (Funding)

Andy Burnham: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much funding has been received from the National Lottery by (a) rugby league and (b) rugby union since its inception.

Kim Howells: holding answer 6 February 2002
	Total funding received from the National Lottery for (a) Rugby League is £12,557,073 and for (b) Rugby Union is £38,044,111.

Youth Hostel Association

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent representations she has received from the Youth Hostel Association; and what recent discussions she has had with the Youth Hostel Association on help to individual youth hostels affected by foot and mouth related loss of business.

Kim Howells: My right hon. Friend the Minister for Rural Affairs and I met the Chief Executive of the Youth Hostels Association (England and Wales) on 7 February. On 5 February, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs announced a countryside access recovery fund that will be available to support projects to promote access to and/or understanding of the countryside by not-for-profit organisations, such as the Youth Hostels Association.

Private Medical Insurance

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many employees in (a) her Department and (b) her Department's agencies and non-departmental public bodies have had private medical insurance provided for them in each year since 1997–98; what the total cost is; and if she will make a statement.

Kim Howells: No employees in the Department or in the Royal Parks Agency have had private medical insurance provided for them in any year since and including 1997–98.
	Information relating to the Department's non- departmental public bodies is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Non-League Football

John Randall: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when she last met representatives from the (a) Nationwide Conference, (b) Doctor Martens' league, (c) Unibond league and (d) Ryman league.

Kim Howells: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has not met with representatives from the Doctor Martens' league, Unibond league or Ryman league.
	My right hon. Friend the Minister for Sport met the chairman and chief executive of the Nationwide Conference on 16 July 2001 to discuss a range of non-league football issues.

Archives

Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans she has to improve access to archives.

Kim Howells: In January last year my Department published social inclusion policy guidance for archives in the document "Libraries, Museums, Galleries and Archives for All" in January 2001. We are now working with Resource, the Council for Museums, Archives and Libraries, and the National Council on Archives to ensure local authority archives recognise their role in achieving greater access and inclusion. With our encouragement, the National Council on Archives has set up a network of Regional Archive Councils which published Archives Strategies for each region in 2001. We have also been working with the Inter-Departmental Archives Committee (IDAC) to create an Action Plan for Archives which will help to encourage greater awareness of and better access to archives. This will be published later in the year.

Royal Parks

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport 
	(1)  what rights and conditions of public access to the Royal parks are observed by those bodies responsible for their upkeep and administration;
	(2)  what the area of each Royal park is; and what the conditions are on what trading in the Royal parks is permitted;
	(3)  which buildings in the Royal parks are not the responsibility of the Royal Parks Agency;
	(4)  what grants are paid to (a) the Royal Parks Agency and (b) other bodies for their work in administering and maintaining the Royal parks;

Kim Howells: Responsibility or the subject of these questions has been delegated to the Royal Parks Agency and I have asked its chief executive, William Weston, to reply.
	Letter from William Weston to Mr. Andrew Turner, dated 7 February 2002
	I have been asked by the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport to reply to your Parliamentary Questions about public access and other matters relating to the Royal Parks.
	The Royal Parks are part of the hereditary possessions of the Crown. The public do not have any legal right to use the Parks, public access depends on the grace and favour of the Crown, although there may be public rights of way across the land. The Royal Parks Agency manages the Royal Parks under powers derived from s22 Crown Lands Act 1851. As part of its statutory management function the Agency permits the public to use the Parks for recreational purposes, subject to regulations issued under the Parks Regulation Acts 1872–1926 which are considered necessary to secure proper management, preserve order and prevent abuse within the Parks. The current regulations are the Royal Parks and Other Open Spaces Regulations 1997.
	The Royal Parks Agency receive grant-in-aid under a funding agreement with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport for carrying out the Secretary of State's management responsibilities under the Crown Lands Act.
	The area covered by each of the Royal parks is as follows
	
		
			  Hectares 
		
		
			 Hyde Park 140 
			 Kensington Gardens 111 
			 Regent's Park (incl. Primrose Hill) 197 
			 St. James's Park 34 
			 Green Park 16 
			 Greenwich Park 73 
			 Richmond Park 955 
			 Bushy Park 450 
		
	
	The Parks are intended to provide a respite from the surrounding urban landscape and commercial activities are therefore generally not allowed in the Royal Parks. Where it is necessary or desirable to provide amenities for park visitors, for example refreshments, boating or deckchairs they are provided under licence from the Secretary of State by private contractors following competitive tender.
	The following buildings in the Royal Parks are not the responsibility of the Royal Parks Agency.
	Bushy Park
	Upper Lodge
	Bushy House
	Hawthorne Cottage
	Barton's Cottage
	Richmond Park
	Thatched House Lodge
	White Lodge
	Pembroke Cottage
	Greenwich Park
	Royal Observatory
	Kensington Gardens
	Kensington Palace
	The Orangery
	Regent's Park
	Winfield House
	St John's Lodge
	The Holm
	Regent's Lodge
	London Zoo
	Restoration Studio.

Osborne Estate Act

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps she is taking to (a) implement and (b) amend the Osborne Estate Act 1902; and when the premises of the former King Edward VII Convalescent Home for Officers will be returned to use in accordance with the provisions of that Act.

Kim Howells: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State is considering how she should meet her responsibilities under the Osborne Estate Act 1902 to devote part of Osborne House for the benefit of members of the armed forces and civil service until such time as she is able to secure legislation to repeal the statutory requirement.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Child Support Agency

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the total amount of money collected by the Child Support Agency was in each of the last seven years.

Malcolm Wicks: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the chief executive, Mr. Doug Smith. He will write to my hon. Friend.
	Letter from Doug Smith to Mr. Chris Ruane, dated 6 February 2002
	The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions in replying to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency promised a substantive reply by me.
	You asked what the total amount of money collected by the Child Support Agency was in each of the last seven years.
	The table on Annex 1 shows those amounts collected and arranged for the last seven years.
	Amounts shown as collected are amounts which are paid via the Agency, while amounts shown as arranged are paid directly between the non-resident parent and the parent or person with care following a CSA assessment.
	I hope this is helpful.
	
		Annex 1: Maintenance collected and arranged -- £ million
		
			 Year Collected Arranged 
		
		
			 1994–95 79.422 133.233 
			 1995–96 133.508 136.913 
			 1996–97 214.911 153.291 
			 1997–98 317.576 202.987 
			 1998–99 409.819 225.854 
			 1999–2000 473.609 238.633 
			 2000–01 516.979 240.551 
		
	
	Source:
	Child Support Agency Annual Reports and Accounts

Pensions Education Campaign

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many television advertisements were paid for by expenditure on the revised Pensions Education Campaign.

Ian McCartney: The Pensions Education campaign promotes the Government's aim to combat poverty and promote security and independence in retirement for future pensioners. The campaign encourages future pensioners to save for their retirement where they can afford to, and provides impartial information on their pension options to help them make informed decisions. The television advertisements are part of this wider activity.
	Five different television advertisements (two 40-second advertisements, two 20-second advertisements and a 10-second advertisement) were paid for out of expenditure on the Pensions Education (Working Dogs) campaign.
	Television advertising started again on 19 January 2002 as part of wider campaign activity and will run until the end of March.

Regulations

Mark Prisk: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many regulations his Department has proposed to Parliament since June; what regulatory impact assessments have been made for those regulations his Department has implemented; and what plans his Department has to reduce the number of regulations affecting small businesses.

Ian McCartney: The Department has introduced 37 statutory instruments, including 15 commencement orders, between 1 June and 31 December 2001. A Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA) has been published in respect of provisions in one of these—the Disability Discrimination (Providers of Services)(Adjustment of Premises) Regulations 2001 which comes into force on 1 October 2004. A copy of the RIA is available in the Library. No other instruments introduced in this period impact on business.
	The Department's policy is to eliminate unnecessary regulation and to minimise the burdens imposed by necessary regulation. We aim to ensure that regulations are necessary; give effective protection; balance benefit, cost and risk; are fair and command public confidence.
	The Department is also committed to reducing, wherever possible, existing regulatory burdens, and is contributing to the Government's regulatory reform action plan, that includes delivering reforms which are beneficial to small businesses and the citizen.

Lone Parent Families

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of people living in lone parent families in each year since 1997 were in (a) the bottom 30 per cent., (b) the bottom 40 per cent. and (c) the bottom 50 per cent. of the income distribution.

Malcolm Wicks: The information available is in the table.
	Following our reforms of the tax and benefit systems to help make work pay, we are seeing a steady reduction in the number of lone parents at the lower end of the income distribution. Results for 1999–2000 are the latest available. They will not include the full impact of the working families tax credit, further increases in allowances for children or improvements in the labour market that have occurred since; these will have increased the incomes of lone parent families.
	Percentage of individuals living in lone-parent families in the bottom 30, 40 and 50 per cent. of the income distribution, including the self-employed is in the table.
	
		Percentage of individuals below percentiles of the income distribution
		
			   Bottom 30 per cent. Bottom 40 per cent. Bottom 50 per cent. 
		
		
			 Income before housing costs
			 1994–95 60 74 84 
			 1995–96 59 73 83 
			 1996–97 65 78 86 
			 1997–98 63 76 84 
			 1998–99 63 77 86 
			 1999–2000 61 75 84 
			 
			 Income after housing costs
			 1994–95 67 79 87 
			 1995–96 67 78 85 
			 1996–97 71 81 87 
			 1997–98 69 79 85 
			 1998–99 69 80 87 
			 1999–2000 67 79 85 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. All figures are estimates and are taken from the Households Below Average Income (HBAI) data set which is derived from the Family Resources Survey (FRS). The FRS does not include Northern Ireland.
	2. The income measure used in HBAI is weekly net (disposable), equivalised household income (that is to say income that is adjusted to reflect the composition of the household).
	3. The estimates are sample counts, which have been adjusted for non-response using multipurpose grossing factors that control for region, council tax band and a number of other demographic variables. Estimates are subject to both sampling error and to variability in non-response. All proportions are rounded to the nearest per cent.
	4. The estimates are presented on both a Before Housing Costs income (BHC) and an After Housing Costs income (AHC) basis in line with HBAI conventions.
	Source:
	FR

Pension Credit

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  if he will provide figures on the same basis as tables 3 and 4 of "The Pension Credit: long-term projections", showing (a) the cost of the basic state pension if increased in line with earnings, (b) the additional cost of increasing the basic pension in line with earnings and (c) the additional yield of national insurance contributions if they remain the same proportion of contributors' earnings as in 2002–03;
	(2)  if he will provide figures on the same basis as tables 1 and 2 of "The Pension Credit: long-term projections", showing the effect on the cost of the pension credit if the proportion of relevant income disregarded were reduced from 60 per cent. to (a) 50 and (b) 40 per cent., assuming that the guarantee credit is uprated in line with average earnings and the savings credit threshold is uprated in line with prices.

Ian McCartney: "The Pension Credit: Long-term projections" sets out the Department for Work and Pensions' illustrative projections of the future cost and coverage of the Pension Credit under various assumptions. These projections should be treated as broad-brush illustrations of the effect of various assumptions rather than firm forecasts of potential costs. The results can be thought of as providing broad lower and upper ranges of potential costs.
	The projections set out in the paper are sufficient to inform the Department's policy making and to provide assurance that the Government's spending on pensions remains sustainable in the long term. The further analysis requested could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Private Pension Funds

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if, pursuant to the answer of 23 January 2002, Official Report, column 855W, he will list the means-tested state benefits that attribute income from individual private pension funds not yet annuitised or drawn down; and how many (a) claimants and (b) unsuccessful claimants have been subject to such pension tariff in the last 12 months.

Ian McCartney: The information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is as follows. The following state benefits take into account income from occupational or personal pensions:
	Income support (or minimum income guarantee)
	Jobseeker's allowance (income based)
	Housing benefit
	Council tax benefit.

Basic State Pension

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will estimate the (a) number and (b) percentage of (i) men and (ii) women over pension age who are entitled to a full rate of basic state pension.

Ian McCartney: holding answer 5 February 2002
	The information requested is in the table:
	
		Number of men and women over state pension age who are entitled to a full basic pension of £67.50 at 31 March 2001: Great Britain
		
			   Male Female 
		
		
			 Number of recipients of full basic pension (thousand) 3,458.5 3,275.5 
			 Percentage entitled to basic state pension 92 49 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. All 5 per cent. samples are subject to sampling error.
	2. Figures are rounded to the nearest 100, percentages to the nearest whole per cent.
	3. Figures exclude Channel Islands and overseas cases.
	Source:
	Pensions Strategy Computer System at 31 March 2001 based on a 5 per cent. sample

Housing Benefit

Stephen Pound: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what changes he proposes to make to housing benefit when pension credit is introduced.

Malcolm Wicks: The Government's aim in introducing pension credit is to guarantee pensioners a decent income in retirement and, for the first time, to reward those with savings rather than penalise them. Housing benefit makes a vital contribution to this strategy, by allowing pensioners to access affordable housing.
	Under pension credit, most pensioners over 65 will be asked for a statement of their circumstances every five years. Housing benefit awards will follow the same timings. From 2003, we will no longer ask pensioners to make a repeat claim for housing benefit every year.
	This will reduce burdens on pensioners, simplify administration and allow local authorities to focus more resources on targeting fraud, rather than processing routine renewal claims.
	We believe that it would be wrong to deny housing benefit recipients the extra support that pension credit will provide. We will therefore raise the housing benefit income threshold by the maximum amount of the pension credit savings reward, to an expected level of £113.80 for single pensioners in 2003. In addition, we will treat pensioners' capital more generously, taking into account £1 for every £500 instead of every £250 of qualifying savings.
	As a result of these changes, 1.9 million pensioner households will get more help, or help for the first time, through housing benefit.

SCOTLAND

Air Traffic Control (Prestwick)

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland 
	(1)  what steps her Department has taken to monitor the UK Airline Group's capability to fulfil its commitment to build a new Air Traffic Control Centre at Prestwick;
	(2)  what contingency plans Her Majesty's Government have to ensure that the new Air Traffic Control Centre for Prestwick goes ahead if the UK Airline Group cannot raise the necessary capital.

John Spellar: holding answers 6 February 2002
	I have been asked to reply.
	The Airline Group is contractually committed to the construction, completion, commissioning and entry into full operational service of the new Scottish centre at Prestwick as part of the public-private partnership deal for National Air Traffic Services.

Boundary Commission

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if she will make a statement on the allocation of the programmed expenditure of £0.3 million referred to on page 16 of her Department's 2001 annual report.

Helen Liddell: The programme expenditure is in respect of the Parliamentary Boundary Commission for Scotland. The Commission is currently undertaking the 5th review of parliamentary constituencies in Scotland.

Boundary Commission

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if she will make a statement on the reason for the extent of the change from (a) 1999–2000 to 2000–01 and (b) 2000–01 to 2001–02 to the costs of the Parliamentary Boundary Commission for Scotland.

Helen Liddell: The costs of the Boundary Commission for Scotland have changed in these years due to preparation for and work involved in undertaking the 5th review of parliamentary constituencies in Scotland, which was formally commenced on 29 June 2001.

Civil Service

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if she will make a statement on progress with her Department's action plan to address (a) the relevant elements of the Modernising Government White Paper and (b) the more detailed proposals for Civil Service reform.

Helen Liddell: The Department is continuing to address the various components of the Modernising Government programme and civil service reform in conjunction with the Cabinet Office and the Scottish Executive.

Departmental Underspend

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what proportion of the Department's budget in each of the last four years was not spent in the year for which it was allocated.

Helen Liddell: The Scotland Office was established in its present form on 1 July 1999. In 1999–2000 the Department spent 96.1 per cent. of its budget and in 2000–01 it spent 95.9 per cent.

Departmental IT

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if she will make a statement on the change in costs resulting from her Department's IT strategy.

Helen Liddell: The Department's information systems are kept under review by staff as part of their normal duties. Any changes in costs in the current year are expected to be small: the costs of any future changes are not yet known.

Depreciation and Capital Charges

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if she will make a statement on the reasons for the extent of the change in the costs of depreciation and capital charges from 1999–2000 to 2000–01.

Helen Liddell: The Scotland Office was established in its present form on 1 July 1999. The figures for depreciation and capital charges for 1999–2000 are therefore for a nine month period.
	For my Department, the cost of capital arises mainly from the occupancy of Dover House in Whitehall. The building was professionally revalued on 31 March 1999 and, under current accounting procedures, is due to have a professional revaluation every five years. Depreciation of other assets is by equal instalments over their estimated useful life.

Administration Costs

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if she will make a statement on the administration costs to her Department in (a) 2000–01 and (b) 2001–02.

Helen Liddell: The running costs provision of the Scotland Office was unchanged between 2000–01 and 2001–02. The Department took additional provision of £334,000 in 2001–02 to meet the cost of electoral publicity associated with the 2001 General Election. The provision for the Parliamentary Boundary Commission for Scotland rose from £170,000 in 2000–01 to £300,000 in 2001–02 as the Commission began work on the 5th review of parliamentary constituencies in Scotland.

Whole of Government Accounts Project

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if she will make a statement on the financial implications for her office of its participation in the Whole of Government accounts project.

Helen Liddell: Work on the Whole of Government accounts project will be undertaken by staff as part of their normal duties and I expect any additional costs to be small.

Departmental Operating Costs

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if she will make a statement on the reasons for the extent of the change in the operating costs of the Department from 1999–2000 to 2000–01.

Helen Liddell: The Scotland Office was established in its present form on 1 July 1999. The operating costs of the Department for 1999–2000 were for a nine month period.

Departmental Payments

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland 
	(1)  in what proportion of cases the Department has paid accounts within 30 days of receipt of a valid invoice in 2001;
	(2)  in what proportion of contractual agreements the Department has made payments in accordance with the agreed timetable.

Helen Liddell: In 1999–2000 my Department paid 98.4 per cent. of its accounts within 30 days. In 2000–01 the figure was 99.33 per cent.

Public Service Agreements

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if the target to provide any readily available free published information within five working days of receipt of a request applies to anything other than the Department's Service Delivery Agreement.

Helen Liddell: No.

Efficiency Savings

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if she will make a statement on the efficiency savings declared by her Department in (a) 2000–01 and (b) 2001–02.

Helen Liddell: The Scotland Office was established in its present form on 1 July 1999. The financial provision for 2000–01 and 2001–02 was set at a constant level and the Department will absorb any inflationary pressures from within its budget.

Management Information Systems

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if she will make a statement on progress with the consolidation of financial and management information systems referred to on page 16 of the 2001 departmental report.

Helen Liddell: Progress with consolidation of the Department's financial and management information systems is continuing.

Staff Costs

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what proportion of the increased public expenditure in Scotland between now and 2003–04 is expected to be accounted for by staff costs.

Helen Liddell: Public expenditure on staff costs is a matter for the relevant bodies or departments operating in Scotland. The proportion of staff costs to other expenditure by the Scotland Office is expected to remain broadly unchanged.

Concordats

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions she has had with members of the Scottish Executive about the resource implications of the (a) bilateral and (b) multilateral concordats agreed with UK Government Departments.

Helen Liddell: The Memorandum of Understanding and supplementary texts are agreements between the Government and the devolved Administrations on how they intend conducting relations between the Administrations. The Memorandum of Understanding reflects best practice on issues such as co-operation, exchange of information, correspondence and parliamentary business. Supplementary texts add more detail for the international and EU fields, statistics and financial assistance to industry.
	A revised version of the Memorandum of Understanding was published on 18 December 2001 as Command Paper 5240. Three hundred copies were printed, at a cost of £3,851. These costs were met from the Cabinet Office budget. The main distribution medium will be via the Cabinet Office's website: www.cabinet-office.gov.uk.

Scotland Act

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland 
	(1)  if she will make a statement on the cost to public funds of the implementation of the Scotland Act 1998 (Modifications of Schedule 5) Order 2000;
	(2)  if she will make a statement on the costs to public funds of the implementation of the Scotland Act 1998 (Transfer of Functions by the Scottish Ministers etc.) Order 2001;
	(3)  if she will make a statement on the cost to public funds of the Scotland Act 1998 (Consequential Modifications) Order 2000;
	(4)  if she will make a statement on the cost to public funds of the implementation of the Scotland Act 1998 (Cross-Border Public Authorities) (British Wool Marketing Board) Order 2000;
	(5)  if she will make a statement on the cost to public funds of the implementation of the Scotland Act 1998 (Cross-Border Public Authorities) (Adaptation of Functions etc.) Order 2000;
	(6)  if she will make a statement on the cost to public funds of the implementation of the Scotland Act 1998 (Cross-Border Public Authorities) (Adaptation of Functions etc.) (No. 2) Order 2000;
	(7)  if she will make a statement on the cost to public funds of the implementation of the Scotland Act 1998 (Modification of Functions) Order 2000;
	(8)  if she will make a statement on the cost to public funds of the implementation of the Scotland Act 1998 (Transfer of Functions to the Scottish Ministers etc.) (No. 2) Order 2000;
	(9)  if she will make a statement on the cost to public funds of the implementation of the Scotland Act 1998 (Modifications of Schedule 4) Order 2000;
	(10)  if she will make a statement on the cost to public funds of the implementation of the Scotland Act 1998 (Transfer of Functions to the Scottish Ministers etc.) Order 2000;
	(11)  if she will make a statement on the cost to public funds of the Scotland Act 1998 (Agency Arrangements) (Specification) (No. 2) Order 2000;

Helen Liddell: There is no separately identifiable cost to public funds for the implementation of any of these orders, but I would expect it to be minimal in each case.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Wye Navigation Order

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when discussions on the Wye Navigation Order began.

Michael Meacher: The National Rivers Authority applied for an order under the Transport Works Act 1992 on 21 March 1996. Its application was subsequently taken over by the Environment Agency.

Noise Pollution

John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has to reduce noise pollution in the UK.

Michael Meacher: Much has been done to address noise from transport and industry including: reducing the level of noise generated by individual vehicles and aircraft; traffic management schemes; resurfacing roads with low noise surfaces; and addressing noise at the planning stage of new noise generation or noise sensitive developments. Such action has considerably reduced the output of noise from individual sources but has often failed to reduce the overall ambient noise because of other factors, such as the growth in the number of vehicles on our roads. We are developing a strategic approach to build on the progress already made. A consultation seeking views on the first steps towards an Ambient Noise Strategy in England was launched on 20 December last year. A significant part of this strategic approach will be an exercise to build on the noise mapping already carried out of the major transport and industrial noise sources across England. The first stage of this exercise, for which £13 million has been set aside, will start later this year. The strategy will also act as a foundation to the implementation of the forthcoming European directive on the assessment and management of environmental noise which will address ambient noise across the whole of the UK.

Dibden Bay Public Inquiry

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what role the Department has in the Dibden Bay Public Inquiry; and if she will make a statement

Michael Meacher: It will be for the inquiry inspector to consider all issues pertaining to the proposed development and then to make a recommendation to the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions. Applications for licences for the dredging, and disposal of dredged waste, associated with the proposed development have been made to the Department under the Food and Environment Protection Act 1985. The issues raised at the inquiry will, in part, inform the decision-making process in respect of those consents.

Foot and Mouth

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will publish the risk assessments that support the relaxing of controls over livestock markets, animal movements and countryside activities.

Alun Michael: I am today placing in the Library of the House copies of a document setting out the veterinary basis for the interim livestock movements regime, along with Veterinary Risk Assessments on Markets, Sheep Shearing, Sheep Dipping and Scanning, Footpaths and Hunting; and a preliminary risk analysis of the 20-day standstill rule carried out by the Veterinary Laboratories Agency.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Departmental Secondments

John Bercow: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many staff in his Department have been seconded to jobs in the (a) private and (b) public sector in each of the last four years.

Christopher Leslie: Information on secondments of civil servants to other sectors (interchange) is recorded separately by the individual Departments to which they belong and is collated by the Cabinet Office as detailed in the table which has been placed in the Library.

Civil Service Entrants

Ian Gibson: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what percentage of administrative fast stream entrants to the Civil Service in each of the last four years has been (a) female, (b) members of ethnic minority groups, (c) from independent schools and went to Oxford and Cambridge and (d) have (i) arts and (ii) science degrees.

Christopher Leslie: Our aim is to increase awareness and attract applications from a diverse range of candidates to the Fast Stream Development Programme. We do not collate data on the schools that entrants have attended. The information on gender, ethnicity, Oxford and Cambridge and arts and science degrees is as follows:
	
		
			  2000–01 1999–2000 1998–99 1997–98 
		
		
			 Female 
			 Percentage 47.7 50 38.7 39 
			 Number 203 153 91 108 
			  
			 Ethnic minority 
			 Percentage 6.8 5.9 3.4 2.5 
			 Number 29 18 8 7 
			  
			 Oxbridge 
			 Percentage 32.2 30.1 34.5 34.3 
			 Number 137 92 81 95 
		
	
	
		Percentage 
		
			  Arts Science related Other 
		
		
			 2000–01 70 22 8 
			 1999–2000 74 20 6 
			 1998–99 76 19 5 
			 1997–98 72 21 7

HOME DEPARTMENT

Remand Centres

Nick Hawkins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to reintroduce purposeful activity for the inmates of remand centres.

Beverley Hughes: holding answer 5 February 2002
	It is not necessary to reintroduce purposeful activity for young offenders in remand centres, as such activity has not ceased. Prisoners in young offender establishments, including remand centres, spent an average of 23.1 hours a week in purposeful activity in 2000–01. The Government are committed to building on their youth justice reforms to improve the standard of custodial accommodation and programmes for 18 to 20-year-olds. This is expected to increase the purposeful activity available to remand and sentenced prisoners in that age group.

Criminal Cases Review Commission

Vera Baird: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications to the Criminal Cases Review Commission in each of the last two years concerned convictions from a magistrates' court; and what proportion this is of the total conviction applications from all courts.

Keith Bradley: The Criminal Cases Review Commission does not collect routinely the statistics requested, and they could be obtained only by disproportionate cost. However following the introduction of an electronic case database from 1 April 2001 recent data are available.
	In the period 1 April 2001–31 December 2001, 616 applications were received of which 31 (5 per cent.) were applications concerning convictions from magistrates courts.

Criminal Cases Review Commission

Vera Baird: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of applicants to the Criminal Cases Review Commission have the assistance of (a) legal aid and (b) legal advice and assistance.

Keith Bradley: It is not known what proportion of applicants have the assistance of legal aid. 51 per cent. of applicants, whose cases were under review, had some form of legal representation.

Criminal Cases Review Commission

Vera Baird: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average times were (a) in 2001 and (b) in 2002 between the lodging of an application in respect of a crown court conviction to the CCRC and the issuing of a referral or of a minded-to-refuse letter.

Keith Bradley: The Criminal Cases Review Commission does not collect routinely the statistics requested, and they could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Immigration

David Heath: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the (a) staff numbers and (b) funding have been of (i) the Immigration and Nationality Directorate (ii) the Joint Entry Clearance Unit for each of the last five years; and what levels are planned for the next two years.

Angela Eagle: The staff numbers in the Immigration and Nationality Directorate (actual and estimated) are shown in the table:
	
		
			   Staff numbers 
		
		
			 April 1997 5,697 
			 April 1998 5,160 
			 April 1999 5,750 
			 April 2000 6,582 
			 April 2001 9,757 
			 April 2002 10,878 
			 April 2003 12,500 
			 April 2004 12,900 
		
	
	On the funding of the Immigration and Nationality Directorate, I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave on 18 January 2002, to my hon. Friend, the Member for Edmonton (Mr. Love), Official Report, column 546W.
	The Joint Entry Clearance Unit (JECU) was established in June 2000 with an establishment of 59 staff. This was increased to 76 in the following year but there are no plans for further staff increases.
	Details of JECU's costs and funding (past and future plans) are given in the Foreign and Commonwealth Department Report, copies of which are available in the Library.

Asylum Seekers

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department why his Department is considering using the RAF Turnhouse site to build an accommodation centre for asylum seekers.

Angela Eagle: The Royal Air Force (RAF) Turnhouse site is one of eight potential sites presently under consideration for the building of trial accommodation centres for asylum seekers.
	Criteria used for the selection of potential sites included; sites with the capacity to cater for several hundred residents plus facilities either as a new-build or conversion, and a reasonable geographical spread beyond the south-east of England.

Women Murderers

Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of the women convicted of murder who are the subject of applications to the Criminal Case Review Commission are still serving custodial sentences.

Keith Bradley: The Criminal Cases Review Commission does not collect routinely the statistics requested. However, the introduction of a new electronic database with effect from 1 April 2001 means the Commission can provide recent data. Of the 80 applications concerning offences of murder received from 1 April to 31 December 2001, five were from women. We are unable to say how many of these five are still in custody because of the disproportionate cost involved in obtaining this information.

Life Sentences

George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department under what powers, and by what criteria he sets the tariff for persons serving life sentences.

Beverley Hughes: The Secretary of State sets tariffs only for adults convicted of murder. He does so under the discretionary powers presently contained in section 29 of the Crime (Sentences) Act 1997, and in accordance with the administrative arrangements set out in the written answer of 30 November 1983, Official Report, column 505, by the then Home Secretary, Mr. Leon Brittan, and a number of subsequent parliamentary statements.
	In setting the tariff in a particular case the Secretary of State gives consideration to all the circumstances relating to the offence, any mitigating and aggravating factors, the recommendations made by the trial judge and the Lord Chief Justice, and any relevant representations made about the case.

Cemeteries

Andrew Bennett: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress has been made in implementing the recommendations accepted in the Government response to the Select Committee on Environment, Transport and Regional Affairs report on cemeteries.

Beverley Hughes: The first meeting of the new advisory group was held in December 2001. A draft work plan to take forward work arising from the Committee's recommendations, some of which fall to other Government Departments and agencies, is now under consideration by group members.
	The findings of a research project commissioned last year to provide information about the condition and management of cemeteries in England and Wales will be available shortly.
	I understand that in December 2001 the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and the Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions jointly published "The Historic Environment: A Force for Our Future", reporting the Government's review of policies towards the historic environment.
	I also understand that action has been taken by the Health and Safety Executive to address memorial safety and, together with English Heritage, the management of risks within the historic environment. English Heritage is planning to produce its guidance on the care and maintenance of historic cemeteries in April 2002.

Individual Learning Accounts

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many people are (a) in custody and (b) on bail following charges connected with the fraudulent misuse of individual learning accounts;
	(2)  how many people in each police authority have been (a) arrested and (b) charged for offences relating to fraud concerning the individual learning accounts programme;
	(3)  how many arrests have been made since 13 December 2001 concerning individual learning account fraud;
	(4)  how many prosecutions have been taken out against people accused of fraud relating to individual learning accounts;

Beverley Hughes: The information held centrally by my Department on fraud, whether relating to persons held in custody, arrested, or proceeded against, does not allow fraud in connection with individual learning accounts to be distinguished from other types of fraud, as the circumstances of each offence are not collected.

Immigration Appeals

Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what instructions he has given to immigration staff about serving appeal decisions; and if he will place a copy in the Library.

Angela Eagle: The personal serving of appeals determinations is a new process and instructions to staff are constantly being refined in the light of operational experience. It is not advisable to publish these at present but arrangements will be made to place a copy in the Library once operational procedures have been fully evaluated and instructions finalised.

Asylum Accommodation Centres

Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will state the criteria used to identify the eight sites for the proposed asylum accommodation centres.

Angela Eagle: Eight potential sites have so far been identified. The criteria used for their selection included: sites with the capacity to cater for several hundred residents plus facilities either as new-build or conversion and a reasonable geographical spread beyond the south east of England. The criteria for selection for the final sites has yet to be decided.

Racism and Xenophobia

Denzil Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proposals he has for implementing the EU Council Framework decision on combating racism and xenophobia as it relates to (a) religion or belief and (b) national origin.

Angela Eagle: Negotiations on the European Commission's proposal for a Council Framework Decision on Combating Racism and Xenophobia are at a very early stage. The Government will consider proposals for implementing the framework decision once a final text has been agreed.

Drugs

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what his estimate is of the volume of (a) heroin and (b) cocaine imported into the United Kingdom in each of the past 10 years.

Bob Ainsworth: On the basis of a study published last year we broadly estimate the size of the United Kingdom market as about 22 tonnes for cocaine and crack and 31 tonnes for heroin. Estimates for earlier years are not available.

Police Reform

Andy Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many individual representations he has received from police officers about his White Paper on Police Reform.

John Denham: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave on 5 February 2002 to the hon. Member for Eastleigh (Mr. Chidgey), Official Report, column 869W.

Witness Support Schemes

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proposals there are to (a) publicise the work of witness support schemes and (b) secure recruits for them locally.

Keith Bradley: All victims of reported crime are given or sent the "Victims of Crime" leaflet. This includes information about the Witness Service. Those called to appear as witnesses are sent the "Witness in Court" leaflet, which provides a variety of useful information, including details of the Witness Service and contact information.
	The Witness Service is provided through the organisation Victim Support. The Home Office grant to Victim Support in the current financial year is £25 million, an increase of £6 million on last year's figure. The extra money has enabled Victim Support to replicate in magistrates' courts the witness support services they already provide in the Crown court. Local victim support schemes publicise their work and recruit volunteers in a variety of ways.

LORD CHANCELLOR

Complaints

George Howarth: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what systems are in place for monitoring complaints from members of the public about the service provided by her Department; and if she will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: There are various arrangements for dealing with and monitoring time to deal with complaints in different parts of the Department. These involve a range of time limits and targets. For example, complaints about the service provided by the Lord Chancellor's Department Headquarters are recorded and monitored by the Departmental Correspondence Unit which aims to deal fully with complaints within 20 working days. The Public Record Office and HM Land Registry aim to respond to complaints within 10 working days and five working days respectively. In the Court Service, written customer complaints are recorded by civil courts on the Business Management System and records are kept of those dealt with by Crown courts and at regional offices, and also by Court Service Headquarters. However, from April 2002 a computerised system will be introduced for all courts, regional offices and Court Service Headquarters to record and analyse all complaints from court users. This will include verbal, telephone and e-mail complaints, as well as those in writing.
	Details about the complaints procedures produced by the Lord Chancellor's departments and agencies are published on the relevant websites. The procedures make it clear that complainants who are not satisfied with the response they receive can ask for the matter to be reviewed. If the complainant remains dissatisfied following the review then he or she may ask his or her Member of Parliament to raise the matter with the Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration.
	The judiciary are of course independent of the Department but the Lord Chancellor, as head of the judiciary, is responsible for investigating complaints about the personal conduct of Judges. He cannot consider complaints about judicial decisions. As a general rule he will investigate any complaint that a member of the judiciary has behaved in a way that falls short of the standards that both he and the public expects.

International Legal Services

George Howarth: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what assessment he has made of the impact of EU enlargement on international legal services.

Michael Wills: The UK is committed to working for further opening up of the market in international legal services, which generate significant sums of foreign earnings. This aim will be furthered by enlargement of the EU, where the free movement and practice of lawyers is guaranteed.

Reporting Procedures

George Howarth: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what reporting procedures exist between the Law Commission and his office.

Michael Wills: The Law Commission submits an annual report on the Law Commission's work to the Lord Chancellor who then lays it before Parliament. The Lord Chancellor's Director General of Policy Group has line management responsibilities for the Secretary of the Law Commission and reports on his or her performance annually.

Reporting Procedures

George Howarth: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what reporting procedures exist between the Council on Tribunals and her office.

Rosie Winterton: The Council on Tribunals makes an annual report to the Lord Chancellor, the Scottish Ministers and the National Assembly for Wales, which is laid before Parliament.

Community Legal Service

George Howarth: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what additional training is made available to paralegal staff in the Community Legal Service.

Rosie Winterton: The Legal Services Commission funds a number of initiatives to support additional training for both lawyers and paralegals. This includes training to cover issues in relation to the CLS Quality Mark as well as support for training in specific categories of law, such as that provided through the expansion package aimed at increasing the number of trained immigration and asylum law advisers. The Partnership Innovation Budget is also being used to support a range of training initiatives, and this was a key feature of a number of the successful bids announced last September.

Community Legal Service

George Howarth: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many reports or submissions the Community Legal Service have produced since it was first established; and if she will list them.

Rosie Winterton: The information in the form requested is not readily available and could be compiled only at disproportionate cost.
	The Community Legal Service does not of itself produce reports and submissions. However, the Legal Services Commission, which has a statutory responsibility to establish, maintain and develop the Community Legal Service, the Lord Chancellor's Department, and Community Legal Service Partnerships, have all produced a range of publications since the launch of the Community Legal Service in April 2000. These cover a range of subject areas, such as the Community Legal Service Quality Mark and Partnership Innovation Budget, but also extend to include individual strategic plans published by Community Legal Service Partnerships.

Legal Services Commission

George Howarth: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department who (a) sits on and (b) appoints members of the Legal Services Commission; and what criteria are used to select those who sit on it.

Rosie Winterton: The Legal Services Commission has a chair and 10 members, appointed by the Lord Chancellor. Eight members are non-executives, who work for a number of days a year, and two are executives, senior members of the Legal Services Commission's staff. The current Chair is Peter G. Birch, CBE and the non-executive members are Anthony Edwards, Philip Ely, Juliet Herzog, Sheila Hewitt, Yvonne Mosquito, Richard Penn, Margaret Richards and Jim Shearer. The two executive members are Steve Orchard, CBE (Chief Executive) and Brian Harvey (Director of Resources and Supplier Development).
	Section 1 (5) of the Access to Justice Act 1999 requires the Lord Chancellor in appointing to have regard to the desirability of Commission members having between them experience and knowledge of: (a) the provision of services which the Commission can fund as part of the Community Legal Service or Criminal Defence Service; (b) the work of the courts; (c) consumer affairs; (d) social conditions; and (e) management. Further essential criteria set out in the information pack sent to people responding to public advertisements for the non-executive posts are: (a) ability to make a significant contribution at both strategic and policy levels; (b) potential to rise to the challenges that will be faced by the new Commission and to commit to an organisation driving through significant change; (c) sensitivity to the political and social policy issues facing the Commission and to the needs of the legal end users: (d) breadth of experience, vision and interest; (e) excellent communication skills; (f) a willingness to work with others to develop consensus, including working with sub-groups; (g) the ability to command respect and influence as an individual; (h) an understanding of the nature of working within the public sector; and (i) an understanding of the need to maintain high standards of probity, integrity and discretion.

Legal Services Commission

George Howarth: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many reports or submissions the Legal Services Commission has produced since it was first established; and if she will list them.

Rosie Winterton: The Legal Services Commission produced 70 reports and consultation papers between its inception in April 2000 and 30 November 2001. Details are set out as follows in their order of publication:
	1. Merseyside Regional Report
	2. Legal Services Commission (LSC) General Civil Contracting—review of contracts draft for consultation
	3. Guidance for Community Legal Service Partnerships Draft for Consultation
	4. South Eastern Regional Legal Services Committee (RLSC) Strategy
	5. West Midlands RLSC Strategy Report
	6. Eastern RLSC Report and Review
	7. Merseyside Regional Report
	8. Yorkshire and Humberside Regional Report
	9. Draft amendments to franchise category definitions, clinical negligence and actions against detaining authorities, help at court in family cases and family franchise category, June 2000
	10. Legal and Franchise Quality Standard: Solicitors
	11. Legal and Franchise Quality Standard: Not for profit
	12. General Civil Contract (Not for Profit)—Contract Documentation
	13. Legal Aid Board Annual Report 1999–2000
	14. Merseyside Regional Report
	15. Assessing Means Assessment: A summary of the first phase of the means assessment research project
	16. Family Graduated Fees Consultation Paper
	17. Community Legal Service (CLS) Funding, contracting for all civil representation, Draft for consultation
	18. General Criminal Contract—Draft for Consultation July 2000
	19. An Evaluation of the Legal Services Commission's Pilot Project on Contracting Criminal Legal Advice and Assistance—Executive Summary
	20. A Report on the Evaluation of the Legal Services Commission's Pilot Project on Contracting Criminal Legal Advice and Assistance—Quality in Criminal Defence Services
	21. A report on the Evaluation of the Legal Services Commission's Pilot Project on Contracting Legal Advice and Assistance—Work Patterns and Costs under Criminal Contracting
	22. Duty Solicitor Arrangements 2001—Draft for consultation July 2000
	23. LSC Corporate Plan 2000–01 to 2003–04
	24. Tameside Community Legal Service Partnership (CLSP) Strategic Plan
	25. Salford CLSP Strategic Plan
	26. North Western CLSP Update
	27. Salaried Defender Service Research Specifications
	28. Merseyside Regional Report
	29. General Criminal Contract Proposed Payment Rates and Monthly Payment Rules
	30. North Western RLSC Report and Review
	31. London RLSC Report and Review of Regional Strategy
	32. Criminal Contracting Documentation—December 2000
	33. General Civil Contracts from 1 April 2001 (Solicitors)
	34. General Civil Contracts from April 2001 (Not for Profit)
	35. Local Legal Need
	36. Report of the Findings of the LSRC Equal Opportunities Survey, 2000
	37. North Western CLSP Update
	38. Yorkshire and Humberside RLSC Report and Review
	39. LSC Manual Release 3—(Update 1 of 2001) Consultation Exercise
	40. Means Assessment: Options for Change
	41. A proposed Quality Mark Standard for Websites
	42. Proposed amendments to the Funding Code and decision- making guidance on family mediation
	43. Housing Possession Court Duty Scheme Pilot—Proposals
	44. LSC Legal Advice and Assistance at Police Stations Register Arrangements 2001
	45. South Western RLSC Report and Review
	46. East Midlands RLSC Report and Review
	47. Duty Solicitor Manual 2001
	48. Transaction Criteria—Ancillary relief and Children Act booklets
	49. LSC Corporate Plan 2001–02 to 2003–04
	50. West Midlands Community Legal Issue Report
	51. Housing Possession Court Duty Scheme Pilot—Proposals: Summary of Responses and Conclusions
	52. Warwickshire CLS Report
	53. London RLSC Annual Report 1 April 2000—31 March 2001
	54. Eastern RLSC Annual Report
	55. Mediation Quality Mark Standard
	56. Family Advice and Information Networks Project
	57. CLS Consultation on range of proposed amendments for the Commission's documentation
	58. CLS—changes to the financial conditions for funding by the Commission
	59. Merseyside Regional Report
	60. Quality Mark for the Bar
	61. Step by Step Guide to the Quality Mark
	62. Criminal Bills Assessment Manual—draft for consultation
	63. Police and Criminal Evidence Act Guidance on Costs Assessment Manual—draft for consultation
	64. Client Feedback Questionnaire
	65. Casework for Students
	66. Cost under the General Civil Contract
	67. Derby Strategic Plan
	68. Northampton Strategic Plan
	69. Derbyshire Strategic Plan
	70. Stockton-on-Tees Strategic Plan.

Statutory Publications Office

George Howarth: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many publications the Statutory Publications Office has in storage; and if he will list the buildings where they are stored.

Rosie Winterton: The Statutory Publications Office does not hold any publications in storage. All publications held by the Statutory Publications Office are held within the Statutory Publications Office, Lord Chancellor's Department, Selborne House central London. These publications include Acts of Parliament and Statutory Instruments that are used for the purpose of updating the Statute Law Database.

Judges

George Howarth: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many complaints he has received since taking office concerning the conduct of individual judges.

Michael Wills: The principle of judicial independence, which is central to our constitutional arrangements, means that it is not open to the Lord Chancellor or his Department to consider complaints about judicial decision. However, as Head of the Judiciary the Lord Chancellor does consider complaints about the personal conduct of individual judges and other judicial office holders. The names of the complainant and the judge are confidential. However, in the period between August 1998 (when new internal arrangements for handling such complaints came into force) and December 2001, the Lord Chancellor received a total of 6,679 complaints about members of the judiciary. The majority of these related to judicial decisions. Of the remainder, 1,227 related to personal conduct and were taken forward for investigation by seeking the complainant's consent for the complaint to be copied to the judge. In 1,034 cases consent was received and the Lord Chancellor then approached the judge concerned for his or her response to the allegations and relayed these to the complainant. On 23 occasions he saw fit to take further action, either by writing to the judge or by arranging for him or her to be seen by officials. Comparable figures for the period before August 1998 are unavailable.

Judges

Dave Watts: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what proposals she has to reduce the retirement age of judges.

Rosie Winterton: There are currently no proposals to reduce the retirement age for judges.

Family Court Casework

Matthew Green: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many family court cases have been heard in (a) magistrates courts and (b) county courts in each of the last five years.

Michael Wills: Figures relating to the total number of family court cases for the five year period 1996 to 2000 are provided in the table. Figures for 2001 are currently being compiled. The figures represent the numbers of orders made under the Children Act 1989, the Domestic Violence and Matrimonial Proceedings Act 1976 and the Family Law Act 1996 (Part IV). In addition the county court figures include the number of petitions for divorce filed.
	
		Family court cases
		
			  Magistrates courts(7) County courts 
		
		
			 1996 57,904 298,409 
			 1997 56,233 278,605 
			 1998 70,984 312,086 
			 1999 56,112 290,506 
			 2000 87,977 305,107 
		
	
	(7) Estimated figures—contain imputed data

Official Visits

George Howarth: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department when a Minister from his Department last visited (a) the Isle of Man and (b) the Channel Islands on an official basis.

Michael Wills: The dates of the last official visits by a Lord Chancellor's Department Minister were (a) the Isle of Man on 27 June 2001, (b) Guernsey on 20 September 2001, Alderney and Sark on 27 September 2001 and Jersey on 19 November 2001.

Auld Report

Dave Watts: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what his policy is on the Auld proposal for district judges to sit with panels of JPs.

Michael Wills: The Government have taken no decisions on the report of Sir Robin Auld's Review. The period for comment closed on 31 January. The Government are now considering the recommendations in detail, taking account of the comments received. The Government will announce their conclusions by way of a White Paper in the spring.

Promotional Video

Dave Watts: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how much her Department has spent on (a) producing and (b) distributing the video to persuade people to become judges; and if she will list the people and organisations to whom it has been distributed.

Rosie Winterton: On 1 February the Lord Chancellor released 'All Rise', a video showing the part-time judicial selection process from application through to appointment. It is aimed at encouraging the widest possible spectrum of qualified lawyers to apply for part-time judicial office across the range of offices in the courts and tribunals.
	Copies of the video have been sent to local and regional law societies, barristers' chambers, lawyers' representative organisations, the media and individuals with an interest. Over 600 copies of the video have been distributed so far.
	Production costs, including copying costs, to 1 February are expected to total £38,375.50.
	Distribution costs, including the cost of postage and envelopes, to 1 February are expected to total approximately £445.00.

Leggatt Report

Mark Field: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if she will make a statement on the Government's response to the Leggatt report on tribunal justice.

Rosie Winterton: The Government are currently considering their response to the Leggatt review and will make a statement at an appropriate time later in the year.
	The Government's response will take into account the public consultation exercise completed in December 2001, which generated over 350 responses.

TREASURY

Income Tax Yield

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his estimate is of the (a) annual income tax yield in each year from 1975–76 to 2001–02 and (b) annual real increase in the income tax yield in each year from 1975–76 to 2001–02.

Dawn Primarolo: Income tax receipts for every year after 1977–78 are published in Inland Revenue Statistics 1.2. This is available on the internet at http:// www.inlandrevenue.gov.uk/stats/tax_receipts/g_t02_1.htm.
	Income tax statistics for 1975–76 to 1977–78 are as follows:
	
		£ million 
		
			  Income tax receipts 
		
		
			 1975–76 15,041 
			 1976–77 17,014 
			 1977–78 17,420 
		
	
	The Treasury publishes GDP deflators on the internet at http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/Economic_Data_and_Tools/ GDP_Deflators/data_gdp_inde x.cfm.

Child Care Tax Credit

Mark Field: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans the Government have to extend the child care tax credit to parents in part-time work.

Dawn Primarolo: Child care tax credit is already available to parents who work part time. It can be claimed by lone parents who work at least 16 hours a week and by couples where both of them work at least 16 hours a week.

Tax Credits

Steve Webb: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will provide a breakdown of his estimate in paragraph 11 of his summary of responses to the New Tax Credit Consultation (November 2001) of childless people in households with someone in work with household income below 60 per cent. of the median, between (a) childless couples, (b) single people over 25 years of age working 30 hours per week or more and (c) other single people.

Dawn Primarolo: holding answer 1 February 2002
	There are around 1 million single people or people in childless couples living in households with incomes below 60 per cent. of the median (after housing costs) who are working 16 hours or more a week. Around half of these are over 25 years of age and working 30 hours or more a week.

Tax Credits

Steve Webb: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will set out the basis for his calculation on replacement rates for childless couples, reported in paragraph 9 of his summary of responses to the New Tax Credit Consultation (November 2001); and if he will provide separate estimates for (a) renters and (b) homebuyers with mortgages.

Dawn Primarolo: The replacement rates referred to are based on a couple with someone working 35 hours a week at £5 an hour. Using this assumption, a couple without children paying rent is around £20 a week better off in full-time work than on benefit. A couple without children with a mortgage is around £55 a week better off in work than on benefit, (assuming they are not receiving any income support to cover mortgage interest). These gains to work correspond to replacement ratios before housing costs of 88 per cent. for the couple paying rent and 63 per cent. for the couple with a mortgage.

Tax Credits

James Clappison: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many claims for working families tax credit and disabled persons tax credit have been (a) investigated, (b) dealt with by way of penalty or caution, (c) made the subject of a prosecution and (d) made the subject of a prosecution or conviction in each year since the WFTC and DPTC commenced.

Dawn Primarolo: The table gives the information requested on applications for WFTC and DPTC since the start of these tax credits in October 1999.
	
		
			 Period WFTC DPTC 
		
		
			  (a) Number of applications investigated  
			 October 1999 to March 2000 3,893 110 
			 April 2000 to March 2001 28,930 644 
			 April 2001 to December 2001 14,361 657 
			 Total 47,184 1,411 
			
			  (b) Number dealt with by Penalty 
			 October 1999 to September 2000 106 1 
			 October 2000 to September 2001 401 8 
			 October 2001 to December 2001 128 1 
			 Total 6335 10 
			
			  (c) and (d) Number of prosecutions 
			 October 1999 to March 2000 0 0 
			 April 2000 to March 2001 12 0 
			 April 2001 to December 2001 16 0 
			 Total 28 0

Tax Credits

James Clappison: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what guidance he has given to the Inland Revenue in respect of their compliance work on tax credits.

Dawn Primarolo: The Inland Revenue approaches non-compliance relating to tax credits very seriously. It has issued extensive guidance to staff carrying out tax credit compliance work on individual applications and on employers who pay tax credits through the payroll.
	The principal guidance on tax credit compliance for Inland Revenue officers is the Applicant Compliance Guide. This Guide has been published and the text is available to the public at all Inland Revenue inquiry centres. Guidance on tax credit aspects of employer compliance is being consolidated in an updated Employer Compliance Handbook. This will be published on completion. Specialist compliance sections within the Tax Credit Office and at Special Compliance Office operate under internal guidance not available to the public.
	Inland Revenue officers carry out tax credit applicant compliance and employer compliance work in accordance with the relevant Codes of Practice. A Code of Practice is issued at the opening of an inquiry, explaining why the Inland Revenue inquires into some cases and what happens during an inquiry. It also sets out the rights and responsibilities of both the customer and the Inland Revenue.

Tax Credits

James Clappison: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many appeals have been made to the High Court and the Court of Session under the provisions of (a) subparagraph (5) of paragraph 3 and (b) subparagraph (4) of paragraph 4 of the Tax Credits Act 1999 in each year since the commencement of the Act.

Dawn Primarolo: From the information available, to date there have been no appeals to the High Court and the Court of Session under the provisions of Schedule 4 of the Tax Credits Act 1999 following Inland Revenue penalty proceedings.

International Aid

Simon Thomas: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he is taking to press other Governments to (a) increase their total international aid budget and (b) secure the abolition of education charges in the developing world by 2005.

Paul Boateng: In his speech in New York in November the Chancellor called on all rich nations to commit further substantial increases to development assistance.
	The Government are committed to the principle that primary education should be made free. No child should be denied access to a basic education because the costs, either direct or indirect, cannot be met by the household. School fees are an example of a direct cost, but there may be indirect charges for books, uniforms and exams, which can make education unaffordable to many.
	The equitable financing of education is a key issue for achieving our goal of Universal Primary Education by 2015. In their dialogue with partner governments, the international community, and civil society on poverty reduction and education sector programmes, the Government will continue to argue for the reduction of financial barriers that exclude large numbers of the poorest children.

Economic Models

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what use is being made by his Department of the National Institute of Economic and Social Research's global economic model; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Smith: holding answer 6 February 2002
	The Treasury is in contact with outside organisations on a wide range of issues.

PFI Deals

Ian Stewart: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the Government's latest estimate is for the financial years 2001–02 to 2003–04 of the (a) capital spending by the private sector resulting from private finance initiative deals signed in those years, (b) likely value of capital spending by the private sector resulting from private finance initiative deals reaching preferred bidder stage in those years and (c) estimated value of payments made by the Government under private finance initiative contracts to private sector providers.

Andrew Smith: The current position is as follows:
	
		Table A: Departmental estimate of capital spending by the private sector resulting from deals signed in the following years -- £ million
		
			 Department 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 
		
		
			 Defence 225 200 100 
			 FCO and Overseas Development 7 9 8 
			 Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 2 16 3 
			 Trade and Industry 38 31 19 
			 Transport, Local Government and the Regions 865 1,015 1,011 
			 Education and Skills(8),(9) 28 9 0 
			 Home Office 34 0 0 
			 Legal Departments 17 13 15 
			 Culture, Media and Sport 0 0 0 
			 Health 536 309 120 
			 GCHQ 159 42 7 
			 Work and Pensions 18 67 14 
			 Scotland 364 93 19 
			 Wales 47 0 0 
			 Northern Ireland 31 16 10 
			 Chancellor's Departments 83 15 4 
			 Cabinet Office 0 0 0 
			 Local Authorities(10) 1,052 1,580 1,800 
			 Total 3,506 3,415 3,130 
		
	
	(8) Excludes private finance activity in education institutions classified to the private sector. Includes projects in the voluntary aided schools sector only.
	(9) PFI activity in local authority schools is included in the local authorities line.
	(10) Figures represent estimated spend on projects supported by central Government through Revenue Support Grant.
	
		Table B: Estimated aggregated capital value of projects at preferred bidder stage -- £ million
		
			 Department 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 
		
		
			 Defence 150 270 260 
			 FCO and Overseas Development 0 0 0 
			 Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 0 0 0 
			 Trade and Industry 0 0 0 
			 Transport, Local Government and the Regions(11) 10 21 21 
			 Education and Skills(12) 0 0 0 
			 Home Office 80 80 40 
			 Legal Departments 5 47 8 
			 Culture, Media and Sport 0 0 0 
			 Health 0 0 0 
			 GCHQ 0 0 0 
			 Work and Pensions 0 0 0 
			 Scotland 164 25 0 
			 Wales 23 76 53 
			 Northern Ireland 27 54 27 
			 Chancellor's Departments 0 0 0 
			 Cabinet Office 2 4 4 
			 Local Authorities(13) 0 0 0 
			 Total 461 577 413 
		
	
	(11) In addition, substantial private investment is levered in through housing, urban regeneration and other programmes.
	(12) Excludes PPP/PFI activity in the further and higher education (FHE) sectors, which are classified to the private sector. Includes projects in the voluntary aided schools sector only.
	(13) PFI activity in local authority schools is included in the local authorities line.
	
		Table C: Estimated payments under PFI contracts (signed deals)
		
			  £ million 
		
		
			 2000–01 2,809 
			 2001–02 3,981 
			 2002–03 4,548 
			 2003–04 4,875 
			 2004–05 4,899 
			 2005–06 4,926 
			 2006–07 4,939 
			 2007–08 5,014 
			 2008–09 4,845 
			 2009–10 4,769 
			 2010–11 4,569 
			 2011–12 4,426 
			 2012–13 4,179 
			 2013–14 4,116 
			 2014–15 3,949 
			 2015–16 3,961 
			 2016–17 3,956 
			 2017–18 3,894 
			 2018–19 3,340 
			 2019–20 3,346 
			 2020–21 3,461 
			 2021–22 3,066 
			 2022–23 3,062 
			 2023–24 3,033 
			 2024–25 3,064 
			 2025–26 2,681 
		
	
	Note:
	Table C shows a forecast of the estimated payments for services flowing from new private investment over the next 25 years. Payments may be lower than estimated because of deductions from the service payments, caused either by the supplier's failure to make the service available or by a failure to meet the required performance standards. In addition, variances may occur because of changes in the service requirements agreed during the course of the contract. Payments may also vary as a result of the early termination of a contract triggering contractual arrangements for compensation on termination.

Income Tax Liability

John Bercow: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what has been the change in income tax liability for each year since 1997 of the (a) top one per cent., (b) top five per cent., (c) top 10 per cent., (d) bottom 75 per cent., (e) bottom 50 per cent., and (f) bottom 10 per cent., of taxpayers.

Dawn Primarolo: The changes in total income, total income tax liability, and total tax as a percentage of total income, by the groups requested for each year since 1997–98, are shown in the table.
	
		Change in total income between -- £ billion
		
			 Group of taxpayers 1997–98 and 1998–99 1998–99 and 1999–2000 1999–2000 and 2000–01 2000–01 and 2001–02 
		
		
			 Top 1 per cent. 8.4 4.2 6.2 2.0 
			 Top 5 per cent. 15.6 8.0 10.0 4.4 
			 Top 10 per cent. 21.8 11.1 12.5 6.1 
			 Bottom 75 per cent. 29.5 13.2 8.2 10.9 
			 Bottom 50 per cent. 14.1 7.0 3.0 6.4 
			 Bottom 10 per cent. 1.7 0.4 0.2 0.9 
			 All taxpayers 64.3 29.9 25.6 20.7 
		
	
	
		Change in total tax liability between -- £ billion
		
			 Group of taxpayers 1997–98 and 1998–99 1998–99 and 1999–2000 1999–2000 and 2000–01 2000–01 and 2001–02 
		
		
			 Top 1 per cent. 2.8 1.3 2.3 0.6 
			 Top 5 per cent. 4.7 2.1 3.3 1.3 
			 Top 10 per cent. 5.6 2.8 3.5 1.7 
			 Bottom 75 per cent. 1.6 0.5 0.7 -0.3 
			 Bottom 50 per cent. 0.7 -0.2 0.2 -0.2 
			 Bottom 10 per cent. 0.0 -0.1 0.0 0.0 
			 All taxpayers 8.5 4.0 4.8 1.2 
		
	
	
		Income tax liability as percentage of total income -- Percentage
		
			 Group of taxpayers 1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02 
		
		
			 Top 1 per cent. 35 35 34 35 34 
			 Top 5 per cent. 30 30 30 30 30 
			 Top 10 per cent. 27 27 27 27 27 
			 Bottom 75 per cent. 13 12 11 11 11 
			 Bottom 50 per cent. 9 9 8 8 8 
			 Bottom 10 per cent. 2 2 1 1 1 
			 All taxpayers 18 18 17 18 17 
		
	
	These estimates are based on the Survey of Personal Incomes and are consistent with the pre-Budget report 2001.

Census Forms

Simon Thomas: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions he has had with the National Assembly for Wales concerning their role in agreeing the content of future census forms in Wales; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Smith: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.
	Letter from Len Cook to Mr. Simon Thomas, dated 7 February 2002
	As National Statistician and Registrar General for England and Wales I have been asked to reply to your recent question about discussions with the National Assembly for Wales concerning their role in agreeing the content of future census forms in Wales. (33522)
	Discussions are currently taking place between officials from the Office for National Statistics and the National Assembly for Wales (NAW) with a view to ensuring that the NAW has a more formal role in the planning, and content of, future Censuses in Wales. I will make a statement when an agreement has been reached.

Manufacturing Jobs

Mark Field: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many manufacturing jobs in central London have been lost since 1 April 2001.

Andrew Smith: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.
	Letter from Len Cook to Mr. Mark field, dated 7 February 2002
	As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent question about how many manufacturing jobs in central London have been lost since 1st April 2001. (33701)
	Data for employee jobs in Central London are only collected by the Annual Business Inquiry (ABI). ABI data are available on Nomis, which is accessible through the House of Commons Library. The most recent data available related to December 2000 and were released in December 2001. Data for December 2001 will be published in December 2002.

Data Protection Act

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the longest period of time elapsed is between receiving (a) the administration fee and providing the information requested and (b) a request for information and providing the information requested, under the Data Protection Act 1998.

Andrew Smith: The information is as follows:
	
		
			   Longest period of time between providing information requested and receiving:  
			 Department Administration fee Request for information 
		
		
			 HM Treasury 91 110 
			 Customs and Excise n/a 172 
			 Inland Revenue n/a 55 
		
	
	Customs and Excise
	(a) The Department does not charge a fee for processing subject access requests.
	(b) The longest period elapsing between receiving a request and completing all action relating to its is 172 calendar days.
	Inland Revenue
	(a) The Inland Revenue does not charge an administration fee for responding to requests under the Data Protection Act 1998.
	(b) For completed requests, the longest period of time elapsed between receiving a request for information and providing the information requested under the Data Protection Act 1998 is 55 days. For outstanding requests, I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him today in respect of his question 33435.

Data Protection Act

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many requests the Department has received under the Data Protection Act 1988 for (a) electronically held information and (b) paper documentation.

Andrew Smith: The information is as follows:
	
		
			  How many data protection requests have been received for:  
			  Electronically held information Paper document 
		
		
			 HM Treasury n/a n/a 
			 Customs and Excise 19 n/a 
			 Inland Revenue 11,988 421 
		
	
	HM Treasury
	The Treasury has generally included paper records in its searches wherever possible, and therefore makes no distinction in its records.
	Customs and Excise
	The requests that the Department receives do not normally differentiate between the ways in which data are held.
	
		Inland Revenue
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 Electronically held information 11,988 
			 Paper documentation 421 
			  
			 Total 12,409

Data Protection Act

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many responses to requests for information under the Data Protection Act 1998 have been completed (a) within 40, (b) between 40 and 60 and (c) over 60 days after receiving the original letter; and how many are still outstanding.

Andrew Smith: The information is as follows:
	
		
			  HM Treasury Customs and Excise Inland Revenue 
		
		
			 Total number of requests 32 76 12,409 
			 Completed within 40 days 17 25 12,356 
			 Completed between 40 and 60 days 6 16 10 
			 Completed over 60 days 3 22 2 
			 Still outstanding 6 13 41 
		
	
	HM Treasury
	The outstanding requests relate to either security vetting issues which have only recently been solved, or to 'all records' requests which have necessitated lengthy paper as well as electronic searches.
	Customs and Excise
	These figures relate to a period when HM Customs and Excise was undergoing fundamental restructuring and was introducing, as a consequence, revised procedures for dealing with subject access requests. The new procedures, coupled with further measures to increase staff awareness, should have a beneficial effect on future response times.
	Inland Revenue
	Of the 41 outstanding subject access requests under the Data Protection Act 1998, 39 requests are within the 40 day time limit set out in the Act. In two cases, clearances are awaited from the Inland Revenue's medical advisers for the release of sealed medical records covered by doctor/patient confidentiality. All other records were released to the individuals within 40 days.

Data Protection Act

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what percentage of responses to requests for information under the Data Protection Act 1998 the Department has completed (a) within 40 days of receipt of the £10 fee, (b) between 40 and 60 days of and (c) over 60 days after receiving the administration fee.

Andrew Smith: The answer is as follows:
	
		
			  HM Treasury(14) Customs and Excise(15) Inland Revenue(16) 
		
		
			 Percentage of requests completed within 40 days of receipt of £10 fee 18.2 18.2 18.2 
			 Percentage of requests completed between 40 and 60 days of receipt of £10 fee n/a n/a n/a 
			 Percentage of requests completed over 60 days of receipt of £10 fee n/a n/a n/a 
		
	
	(14) The percentage reflects the relatively small number of cases involved and the relative difficulty of responding to them.
	(15) The Department does not charge a fee for processing subject access requests.
	(16) The Inland Revenue does not charge an administration fee for responding to requests under the Data Protection Act 1998.

Data Protection Act

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what administration fees are charged by the Department for information requests made under the Data Protection Act 1998.

Andrew Smith: The information is as follows:
	HM Treasury
	The Department charges the standard £10 administration fee on all subject access requests except those made by current Treasury staff.
	Customs and Excise
	The Department does not charge a fee for processing subject access requests.
	Inland Revenue
	The Inland Revenue does not charge an administration fee for responding to requests under the Data Protection Act 1998.

Data Protection Act

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the period of time elapsed is for the oldest outstanding request for information under the Data Protection Act 1998, since receipt of the (a) original request and (b) administration fee.

Andrew Smith: The information is as follows:
	
		Days 
		
			   Longest outstanding request on receipt of:  
			  Original letter £10 fee 
		
		
			 HM Treasury 364 182 
			 Customs and Excise(17) 131 n/a 
			 Inland Revenue(18) 90 n/a 
		
	
	(17) The Department does not charge an administration fee for processing subject access requests
	(18) The Inland Revenue does not charge an administration fee for responding to requests under the Data Protection Act 1998

Data Protection Act

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many responses the Department has completed to requests for information made under the Data Protection Act 1998 for (a) electronically held information and (b) paper documentation.

Andrew Smith: The information is as follows:
	
		
			   Responses completed for:  
			 Department Electronic information only Paper information only 
		
		
			 HM Treasury n/a n/a 
			 Customs and Excise 19 n/a 
			 Inland Revenue 11,988 380 
		
	
	HM Treasury
	The Treasury has generally included paper records in its searches wherever possible.
	Customs and Excise
	The Department does not differentiate between electronic and manual data for responses supplied since 24 October 2001, since to do so would require disproportionate effort. Responses completed prior to 24 October 2001 related only to data held electronically; 19 were completed up to that time.

Data Protection Act

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many responses to requests for information under the Data Protection Act 1998 the Department has completed (a) within 40 days of receipt of, (b) between 40 and 60 days of receiving and (c) over 60 days after receiving the £10 administration fee.

Andrew Smith: The information is as follows:
	
		
			  HM Treasury Customs and Excise Inland Revenue 
		
		
			 Total number of requests 11 n/a n/a 
			 Completed within 40 days 2 n/a n/a 
			 Completed between 40 and 60 days 2 n/a n/a 
			 Completed over 60 days 2 n/a n/a 
			 Still outstanding 5 n/a n/a 
		
	
	HM Treasury
	The administration fee is not charged to current Treasury staff inquiring on their own records.
	Customs and Excise
	The Department does not charge a fee for processing subject access requests.
	Inland Revenue
	The Inland Revenue does not charge an administration fee for responding to requests under the Data Protection Act 1998.

Data Protection Act

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what the policy of the Department is for ensuring responses to requests for information under the Data Protection Act 1998 are completed within 40 days; and what their procedure is to achieve this;
	(2)  what the Department's procedure is for responding to requests for information under the Data Protection Act 1998; if he will place a copy in the Library; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Smith: The information is as follows.
	HM Treasury
	The Department's policy is to comply with the requirements of the Data Protection Act 1998, and wherever possible to respond with the information requested well within the 40-day time limit. Under the Data Protection Act 1984, when virtually no requests were received, annual test-requests were processed to make sure that the system was compliant. Since the 1998 Act came into force, there have been a few occasions where open-ended demands for information have exceeded the normal channel's ability to respond promptly. The Department is currently resourcing a team to ensure timely responses to all requests for the Department's information.
	Customs and Excise
	The Department's policy is to comply with the requirements of the Act. Following its recent restructuring it has been necessary to introduce revised procedures for dealing with subject access requests. The new procedures, coupled with further planned measures to increase staff awareness, should have a beneficial effect on future response times. The Department has also increased the staffing of the central unit whose role is to co-ordinate responses to subject access requests. This unit acts as a focal point for incoming requests, initiates the necessary searches, collates the information received and issues a single response to the applicant.
	Inland Revenue
	The Inland Revenue is very conscious of its obligation to meet the requirements of the Data Protection Act 1998. The Department aims to respond to requests for information under the Act well within the 40-day time limit. The Department has in place a small central unit whose role is to co-ordinate, manage and oversee the response to all requests for information under the Data Protection Act 1998. supported by an extensive structure of data protection officers across the Department, the unit collates the relevant electronic and paper records to produce a single response to the data subject on behalf of the Inland Revenue. Staff are provided with detailed guidance, and where necessary, training to ensure that the Inland Revenue fully complies with its legal obligations under the Data Protection Act 1998.

Data Protection Act

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his estimate is of the average cost of processing each information request under the Data Protection Act 1998.

Andrew Smith: The information is as follows:
	HM Treasury
	The Department does not maintain figures on this, and to supply them would involve disproportionate cost. The cost required to fulfil subject access requests may vary greatly from case to case, depending on the volume and ownership of records to be searched. The Department is planning to centralise and develop its facilities in order to improve the efficiency of these searches, and reduce the time taken.
	Customs and Excise
	The Department does not record the information required to produce these figures because to do so would involve disproportionate cost, given the relatively small number of subject access requests received.
	Inland Revenue
	The average cost to the Inland Revenue of processing each information request under the Data Protection Act 1998 could be supplied only at disproportionate cost.

HEALTH

Fire Safety

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of hospital beds are in wards which do not comply with fire safety statutory requirements.

Hazel Blears: The annual returns received from national health service trusts stating their position in relation to Firecode compliance are not submitted in a form to allow the number of hospital beds to be identified in wards which do not comply with fire safety statutory requirements.

Methyl Tertiary Butyl Ether

Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if the Committee on the Medical Effects of Air Pollutants is considering the possible effects on (a) animal health and (b) human health of the use of methyl tertiary butyl ether in petrol; and if he will make a statement.

Yvette Cooper: The Committee on the Medical Effects of Air Pollutants (COMEAP) advises the Chief Medical Officer on the possible effects of air pollutants on human health. No advice is provided on animal health.
	COMEAP has considered the possible effects on human health that might occur as a result of exposure to concentrations of methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE) that may be produced as a result of the addition of MTBE to petrol as an octane enhancer. The concentrations likely to be produced are low and no significant effects on public health are expected. The COMEAP statement on this topic has been placed in the Library.

Teenage Pregnancy

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made in implementing the recommendations of the Social Exclusion Unit's report on teenage pregnancy.

Yvette Cooper: All of the 30 action points set out in the Social Exclusion Unit's report on Teenage Pregnancy are being implemented and over a half have been completed.
	Early indications are that the implementation of the strategy is yielding positive results towards the two main goals of halving the rate of under-18 conceptions by 2010 and increasing the participation of teenage parents in education, training and employment. The under-18 conception rate has been on a downward trend for the last eight quarters for which data are available, and fell by 4 per cent. during the first year of implementation. The proportion of teenage mothers aged 16 to 19-years in education or work increased from 16 per cent. in 1997 to 31 per cent. in 2000.

Recombinant Factor 8

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of haemophiliacs (a) over 16 years and (b) in (i) England, (ii) Wales, (iii) Scotland and (iv) Northern Ireland receive recombinant Factor 8.

Yvette Cooper: The latest information from the United Kingdom Haemophilia Centre Doctors Organisation shows that in England patients aged 20 or younger (approximately 43 per cent. of all patients) are eligible to receive recombinant clotting factors. These patients may not currently be receiving recombinant clotting factors due to the recent world wide shortage but supplies are returning to normal and they will be put back onto recombinant clotting factors as soon as possible. Questions relating to Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland are matters for the devolved Administrations.
	We are giving careful consideration to the case for providing recombinant clotting factors for all haemophilia patients in England.

Human BSE

Phil Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research the Government have recently commissioned (a) on the risks of contracting human BSE from surgical instruments and (b) on how the NHS should deal with patients exposed to such risk through medical treatment; and when the results will be published.

Yvette Cooper: The Department published a report entitled "Risk assessment for the transmission of vCJD via surgical instruments" on 16 March. This is available on the Department's website at www.doh.gov.uk/cjd/ riskassessmentsi.htm.
	On 10 October 2001 the Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease Incidents Panel published for consultation a framework document setting out proposals on the management of incidents involving possible exposure to CJD via surgery or donated blood, organs or tissues. The document is available on the Department's website at http://www.doh.gov.uk/ cjd/consultation.
	Since 1998 the Department has allocated nearly £4 million to research on risk and decontamination of surgical instruments, and hopes to commission further contracts worth over £2 million in 2002. This work is carried out in major Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy research centres such as the Medical Research Council's prion unit in London and the National Creutzfeldt-Jakob Diseases surveillance unit in Edinburgh. Scientists at the Universities of Cambridge, London and Southampton are also involved, as well as those at Government research centres such as the Centre for Applied Microbiology and Research and the Institute for Animal Health.
	A list of Government funded research on Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies is published on the Medical Research Council's website at http:/www.mrc.ac.uk/ tse_tb2c.htm.

Heart Disease

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will call for a report from the Chief Medical Officer about vulnerability to heart disease from (a) high cholesterol, (b) cholesterol levels normally deemed safe but which are sensitive at this lower level for particular individuals and ethnic groups, (c) insulin-resistant metabolic syndrome and (d) non-cholesterol related causes; whether there are targeted remedies other than quitting smoking and excessive alcohol intake and improving diet and exercise; and if he will make a statement.

Yvette Cooper: There are no immediate plans to issue a specific report about the links between cholesterol levels and coronary heart disease. There is a requirement within the National Service Framework (NSF) for Coronary Heart Disease that all general practitioners and primary health care teams should identify all people with established cardiovascular disease, and those who are at significant risk of cardiovascular disease but who have not yet developed symptoms. They should offer them appropriate advice and treatment to reduce their risks. This includes specific dietary advice to lower serum cholesterol concentrations.
	The NSF also sets out the policy for the prescribing of statins. The first priority is to ensure that people with established CHD are treated with statins to lower their cholesterol level. The next step is the treatment of those without diagnosed CHD but whose risk of a cardiac event is greater than 30 per cent. over 10 years.
	Insulin-resistant metabolic syndrome is an underlying condition in many people with Type 2 diabetes. Diabetes is a major risk factor for coronary heart disease. Prevention of Type 2 diabetes, which is achievable mainly by lifestyle change, will be addressed in the forthcoming Diabetes National Service Framework.
	In addition to smoking, poor diet, and physical inactivity, other modifiable risk factors for CHD include obesity and hypertension. The Department is taking action to address these risk factors through the NHS Plan, Cancer Plan and NSFs for Coronary Heart Disease, Older People and the forthcoming one on Diabetes.

Polysaccharide Vaccine

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research his Department (a) has commissioned and (b) plans to commission in respect of polysaccharide vaccine; when it was commissioned; when it will report; which (i) persons and (ii) organisations are undertaking the research; and what the (A) remit and (B) aims of the research are.

Yvette Cooper: holding answer 10 December 2001
	The Department has commissioned the Public Health Laboratory Service (PHLS) to undertake studies on the safety and immunogenicity of pneumococcal conjugate polysaccharide vaccines in infants and young children. The studies are under the direction of Dr. Elizabeth Miller, Head of Immunisation at PHLS. The studies were started in 2001 and results are expected in 2002 and 2003. Further studies in infants or the elderly will be considered in response to suitable applications.

Nutrition

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of the cost of malnutrition per annum (a) to the NHS and (b) to public funds by (i) region and (ii) health authority in the last five years for which figures are available;
	(2)  pursuant to his answer of 13 November 2001, Official Report, columns 682–83W, on nutrition, if he will list (a) the specific targets and (b) the dates his Department has set under the hospital nutrition policy for the reduction of under nutrition; and if these targets take into consideration (i) age and (ii) regional differences in malnutrition.

Yvette Cooper: holding answer 19 December 2001
	Figures on the number of episodes of hospital in-patients with a primary diagnosis relating to malnutrition show that the incidence of malnutrition leading to hospitalisation is rare but increases with age. Information on costs is not centrally located. The total cost of malnutrition would be extremely difficult to calculate as it is often associated with another disease—either as a result of the disease or only diagnosed during the treatment for the disease.
	There are a number of measures and strategies in place to specifically manage, monitor and screen patients for under-nutrition in hospitals, residential care and the wider community. This includes the Better Hospital Food programme and the introduction of ward housekeepers in hospital, as outlined in the NHS Plan. In addition, from April 2002 all care homes will be regulated in accordance with national minimum standards, including nutrition.

Nutrition

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what screening methods are in place and on what frequency (a) in England and (b) by health authority to monitor nutritional levels in people aged (i) 0–15, (ii) 16–59, (iii) 60–75 and (iv) 75 years and over; and what his policy is on a standard national nutritional screening policy.

Yvette Cooper: holding answer 19 December 2002
	There is no standard national policy on screening for malnutrition in hospitals. It is a matter for individual trusts. However, in February 2001, we released the essence of care toolkit to be used for local clinical governance activity, and in which best practice standards include the need for nutritional screening and assessment of all patients.
	Nutritional screening is also recommended for the care of specific groups, such as those outlined in the National Service Framework for Older People. As highlighted in the response to previous inquiries to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State in November 2001, a number of strategies are in place to manage, monitor and screen patients for under-nutrition in hospitals, residential care and the wider community. These were outlined previously.
	Guidance on the single assessment process for older people was issued for consultation in August 2001. The assessment will identify the health and social care needs of people over 65 years, including difficulties with diet and nutrition.

Infection Control

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to include a hospital's compliance with its infection control policy within the Commission for Health Improvement inspection programme.

Yvette Cooper: holding answer 8 January 2002
	We have asked the Commission for Health Improvement to independently review and monitor the uptake of national controls assurance standards for Hospital Acquired Infection during their routine reviews of an organisation's systems and processes for monitoring and improving services.

Medical Services

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people were working in (a) endoscopy, (b) therapy radiography, (c) breast screening, (d) cytoscreening and (e) histopathology in each of the past five years.

John Hutton: Information is not collected centrally on the number of staff performing endoscopy. A range of staff (surgeons, physicians and nurses) may carry out the procedure, depending on how and where the patients present.
	The number of qualified therapy radiography staff is shown in the table.
	Information is not collected centrally on the number of staff who carry out breast screening. Figures are provided for the number of qualified diagnostic radiography staff, some of whom perform breast screening as part of their job.
	Cytoscreeners are medical laboratory scientific officers (MLSOs) or medical laboratory assistants (MLAs) possessing a suitable certificate in cervical cytology. It is not possible to disaggregrate them from other staff collected within the pathology grouping in the non-medical workforce census. In the table MLA cytoscreeners are included within total unqualified staff working in pathology. MLSO cytoscreeners are included within qualified staff working in pathology.
	The number of hospital medical staff within the histopathology area of work is shown in the table.
	
		NHS hospital and community health services (HCHS): Qualified scientific, therapeutic and technical staff within the specified areas of work and hospital medical staff within the histopathology(19) area of work as at 30 September each year -- Headcount
		
			  1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 
		
		
			 Radiography (diagnostic) 10,260 10,360 10,640 10,840 11,040 
			 Radiography (therapeutic) 1,310 1,410 1,470 1,490 1,450 
			 All Healthcare Scientist Pathology staff 23,320 23,000 23,170 910 24,240 
			 of which:  
			 Qualified 15,900 15,540 15,480 15,510 15,580 
			 Unqualified 7,420 7,460 ,690 8,400 8,660 
			 Medical staff working in Histopathology 940 940 1,030 1,080 1,160 
		
	
	(19) In years 1996 to 1998 this specialty was titled Morbid Anatomy and Histopathology
	Note:
	Figures are rounded to the nearest 10
	Source:
	Department of Health non-medical workforce census
	Department of Health medical and dental workforce census

Healthy Workplace Initiative

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) companies, (b) voluntary organisations and (c) public sector organisations based in the Buckingham constituency have signed up to the Healthy Workplace Initiative; what information they have received, and at what cost to public funds.

Hazel Blears: Nationally to date approximately 30,000 small and medium size enterprises have "signed up" to the Healthy Workplace Initiative. Members receive a free newsletter four times a year and join the national on-line community at www.signupweb.net, which provides access to information and support on occupational health. In addition, several regions have set up local networks of businesses to share information and experiences. The total cost of the initiative from its launch in 1999 to date has been approximately £1.4 million. Registrations to the database are not sorted by parliamentary constituency so isolating membership figures for Buckingham would involve disproportionate costs.

Community Pharmacists

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will provide additional support to community pharmacists.

Hazel Blears: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Stoke-on-Trent, North (Ms Walley) on 24 January 2002, Official Report, column 1079W.

Environmental Appraisals

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what procedures his Department has to ensure environmental appraisals are undertaken prior to (a) administrative and (b) policy decisions being made;
	(2)  how many officials from his Department have attended the Environmental Appraisal and Integration into Policy training course run by the Civil Service College;
	(3)  how many environmental appraisals have been published by his Department since 1 January 2001; and if he will list the last four;
	(4)  when the last occasion was on which he requested an environmental appraisal before making a policy decision.

Yvette Cooper: Departmental guidance on environmental policy appraisal (including a screening tool) is available to all staff on the department's intranet. This is linked to the Cabinet Office policy maker's checklist. In raising staff awareness of sustainable development attention has been drawn to the importance of carrying out environmental policy appraisals. This has also been drawn to the attention of agencies and arm's length bodies.
	The Department is assisting the Cabinet Office in developing an integrated appraisal tool. This is a good practice tool designed to assess the impact—including environmental impacts—of policy proposals.
	The civil service college course on "Environmental Appraisal and Integration into Policy" has been advertised widely in the Department and one person has attended the course. There are a number of bodies that provide environmental training and staff will choose a course that best meets their overall needs.

Stolen Equipment

Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what equipment has been stolen from his Department since 1 May 1997; and what the approximate value of each item was.

Hazel Blears: holding answer 22 January 2002
	The information requested is shown in the table.
	
		
			 Item(s) Number of items Total loss (£) 
		
		
			  Losses and thefts 1997–98 
			 NEC Vodaphone mobile phone 1 25.85 
			 SNI Pentium CPU only 1 880.00 
			 NEC P3 mobile phone 1 16.30 
			 NOKIA 232 mobile phone package 1 96.88 
			 HP870 colour printer 1 0.00 
			 Ericsson EH237 mobile phone 1 0.00 
			 BT Jade mobile phone 1 0.00 
			 BT Response 50 ansaphone 1 56.22 
			 SNI PC-4Nd laptop 1 1,488.73 
			 SNI PCD-AT Tower PC 1 1,151.50 
			 Laserjet 4 toner cartridge 1 79.54 
			 SNI PCD-4ND laptop 1 1,488.73 
			 Laptop 1 1,488.73 
			 HPL4 printer 1 415.95 
			 BT Response ansaphone 1 56.22 
			 Motorola Mobile, spare battery, carrycase 3 92.26 
			 Intercity pager 1 252.63 
			 BT Jade mobile phone 1 0.00 
			 PSION series 3C Organiser 2MB and leather case and travel modem for 3C 3 624.89 
			 Ericsson Hotline mobile phone 1 22.00 
			 Siemens Nixdorf PCD 4NE laptop 1 1,488.73 
			 Access VBA for Office 97 reference manual 1 622.75 
			 PC Anywhere version 7.5 user guide 1 108,04 
			 Desktop calculator 1 15.00 
			 Toshiba palmtop portable PC and lead 1 1,880.00 
			 Compaq Armada 1520 laptop 1 1,488.73 
			 Toshiba Satellite-pro Laptop, disk extension and SecureNet key 3 1,638.73 
			 Compaq Armada 1520 laptop 1 1,488.73 
			 Compaq Laptop 1 1,488.73 
			 Nokia mobile phone 1 0.00 
			 Compaq Armada notebook computer 1 0.00 
			 SNI 4ND 486/DX2 50 20 with 20 MB RAM and Xircon network adapter 2 3,000.00 
			 RAM 32 MB from a PC 2 175.00 
			 RAM 16 MB from a PC 1 93.00 
			 Compaq contura laptop, mobile phone and a charger unit 3 0.00 
			 Toshiba laptop 1 1,500.00 
			 BT charge card 1 0.00 
			 SNI 4NC laptop, with REMS kit, Xircom adapter, SNKey and carrying case 4 2,606.15 
			 BT Response 50 ansaphone 1 50.00 
			 MS mouse 1 27.00 
			 Compaq laptop 1 3,777.00 
			 Compaq Armada laptop 1 2,105.60 
			 Compaq Armada laptop 1 2,105.60 
			 Compaq Armada 4131T, 1120T, Ethernet card and modem 4 5,640.00 
			 Motorola mobile phone 1 64.63 
			 Compaq Armada 1120 laptop 1 1,521.63 
			 Compaq Armada 1120 and Compaq Armada 7750 laptops 2 3,500.00 
			 Microsoft mouse 1 27.00 
			 Total for 1997–98 65 44,648.48 
			
			 Losses and thefts 1998–99   
			 Iomega zip drive 1 90.00 
			 Compaq Armada portable PC 1 1,521.63 
			 Compaq Armada 1520 Laptop, PCMCIA card, SNK key, mobile phone and battery 5 2,395.30 
			 HiNote 2000 digital laptop 1 4,995.00 
			 Psion 3 organiser 1 350.00 
			 Motherboard, P233 MHZ processor 3.2 GB Harddisk, and 64 MB RAM 4 1,500.00 
			 Siemens Nixdorf laptop 1 1,521.63 
			 Siemens Nixdorf Scenic notepad, 486 PC 1 1,521.63 
			 Hard disk and two 16MB RAM from a PC 3 328.00 
			 Siemens Nixdorf 486SX laptop 1 0.00 
			 Motorola D460 mobile phone 1 6.00 
			 Nokia 2110 mobile phone 1 0.00 
			 Mobile phone 1 7.05 
			 Mobile phone 1 22.71 
			 SNI 486 laptop 1 1,656.75 
			 SNI 4ND laptop and modem 2 1,829.73 
			 Nokia 5110 mobile phone 1 6.00 
			 Compaq Armada 1560 laptop 1 0.00 
			 Psion 3a series personal organiser 1 386.58 
			 Nokia mobile phone 1 7.05 
			 NEC digital phone 1 156.66 
			 SNI PCD 4ND laptop 1 1,656.75 
			 Nokia 232 mobile phone 1 6.00 
			 SNI PCD 4ND laptop 1 1,656.75 
			 Compaq Armada 1592DT laptops 4 7,000.00 
			 Compaq Armada 1592DT laptops and TDK V34 GSM modem 2 1,841.23 
			 Siemens Nixdorf colour notebook 1 1,694.35 
			 Nokia 2110 mobile phone 1 7.05 
			 Compaq V70 monitor 2 600.00 
			 Multitech MULMT5600ZZDX 56k modem 1 100.00 
			 Microphone 1 250.00 
			 Compaq Armada 1560 laptop 1 1,468.75 
			 Compaq laptop 1 1,468.75 
			 Compaq Contura 4/25 1 1,468.75 
			 Nokia 8110 mobile phone 1 74.32 
			 Laptop computer 1 1,468.75 
			 Compaq Armada 1700 laptop 1 1,620.00 
			 Mapinfo software 1 1,866.00 
			 Nokia 5110 mobile phone 1 7.05 
			 Compaq Armada laptop and modem 2 1,641.48 
			 Nokia mobile phone 1 7.05 
			 Total for 1998–99 57 44,204.75 
			
			 Losses and thefts 1999–2000   
			 Compaq Armada 1560 laptop 1 0.00 
			 Psion 3C organiser and Nokia 5110 mobile phone 2 257.05 
			 Toshiba 100CT Liberato palmtop, bag, battery and PCMCIA modem 4 2,000.00 
			 Panasonic AG450 camcorder and panasonic F15/8 camera 2 3,400.00 
			 Compaq Armada laptop 1 2,056.25 
			 Nokia mobile phone 1 7.05 
			 Compaq laptop 1 1,956.38 
			 Nokia mobile phone 1 7,05 
			 Compaq Armada 1700 laptop 1 0.00 
			 Ansaphone 1 64.63 
			 Nokia mobile phone 1 7.05 
			 Compaq 1560 laptop 1 1,956.38 
			 Nokia mobile phone 1 7.05 
			 Compaq laptop 1 1,956.38 
			 Compaq laptop 1 1,956.38 
			 Compaq laptop 1 1,948.00 
			 400 mhz Pentium processor 1 250.00 
			 Nokia 5110 mobile phone 1 7.05 
			 Compaq Armada laptop 1 0.00 
			 Toshiba Tecra 8000CDT laptop and HP 340C printer 2 0.00 
			 Compaq Armada 1700 laptop 1 2,113.68 
			 BT charge card 1 0.00 
			 Nokia 8110 mobile phone 1 7.05 
			 Charger for a Nokia phone 1 24.51 
			 BT Response 85 digital answering machine 1 55.00 
			 Compaq Armada R4883 laptop 1 2,113.68 
			 Compaq Armada 1120 laptop 1 1,948.00 
			 Compaq Armada 1120 laptop 1 1,948.00 
			 Charger for a Nokia phone 1 32.09 
			 Charger for a Nokia phone 1 32.09 
			 Compaq Armada 1560 laptop 1 2,113.68 
			 Compaq Armada 1750 laptop 1 2,113.83 
			 Compaq Armada 1750 laptop 1 1,948.15 
			 Compaq Armada 1120 laptop 1 1,948.15 
			 Compaq Armada 1120 laptop 1 2,100.00 
			 16Mb DIMM 1 24.00 
			 Compaq laptop 1 2,193.41 
			 Compaq Armada 1560 laptop 1 1,880.00 
			 Total for 1999–2000 44 40,432.02 
			 Losses and thefts 2000–01   
			 Maltron dual handed keyboard 1 411.25 
			 Compaq Armada 1700 1 1,948.15 
			 Nokia 5100 mobile phone 1 7.05 
			 Nokia 5110 mobile phone 1 7.05 
			 Compaq Armada 1700 1 2,395.13 
			 Nokia mobile phone 1 7.05 
			 Nokia 5110 mobile phone 1 180.95 
			 Nokia 5110 mobile phone 1 7.05 
			 Nokia 5110 mobile phone 1 7.05 
			 Compaq Armada 1560 laptop 1 2,702.50 
			 Compaq Armada 1560 laptop 1 2,395.06 
			 Dell Latitude Cpt500S laptops 2 4,460.00 
			 Epson 5500 projector 1 3,744.00 
			 Vodaphone phone and motorola pager 2 433.48 
			 Nokia 5110 mobile phone 1 180.95 
			 Compaq Armada M700 laptop 1 0.00 
			 Nokia mobile phone 1 7.05 
			 Compaq Armada M700 laptops and 32 Speed Ext. CD-ROM drive 3 4,055.00 
			 Toshiba Tecra 8000CDT laptop 1 0.00 
			 Compaq Armada M700 laptop 1 2,200.00 
			 Compaq laptop with ROIS 1 2,378.85 
			 Compaq DeskPro EN 6600 P111 and 56k fax modem 2 844.83 
			 Compaq Armada M700 laptops 2 440.00 
			 Compaq Armada 1560 laptop 1 2,300.00 
			 Sony laptop 1 2,394.65 
			 Compaq Armada 1700 laptop 1 2,382.90 
			 Ericsson A1018s mobile phone 1 30.00 
			 PC motherboard with CPU and 64MB RAM 2 400.00 
			 Compaq Armada 1560 laptop 1 1,762.50 
			 Compaq Armada 1150 laptop 1 1,761.20 
			 Compaq laptop with ROIS 1 2,328.85 
			 Nokia mobile phone 1 7.05 
			 Nokia 5110 mobile phone and charger 2 43.24 
			 Nokia mobile phone 1 7.05 
			 Nokia 5110 mobile phone 1 7.05 
			 Compaq Armada laptop, Motorola pager, Nokia 5110 mobile phone 3 2,482.78 
			 Compaq laptop with ROIS 1 2,328.85 
			 Total for 2000–01 47 47,048.57 
			
			 Losses and thefts 2001–02   
			 Ericsson GA318 mobile phone 1 32.90 
			 Compaq E500 laptop 1 1,761.20 
			 64 Mb DIMM memory chip 1 61.60 
			 Compaq Armada M700 laptop 1 2,321.80 
			 Compaq Armada 1110 laptop 1 2,321.80 
			 Compaq Armada laptop 1 1,915.25 
			 Compaq M700 laptop 1 2,321.80 
			 Compaq Spacesaver 866 base unit, keyboard and mouse 3 821.33 
			 Nokia 5110 mobile phone 1 7.05 
			 Palm Pilot 3 1 158.63 
			 Nokia mobile phone 1 7.05 
			 Compaq Armada M700 laptop 1 2,184.33 
			 Compaq laptop 1 2,184.33 
			 Compaq Armada 1750 laptop 1 2,184.33 
			 Compaq Armada 1592 laptop 1 1,684.33 
			 HP colour laser jet 4550 printer 1 1,800.10 
			 Compaq Armada M700 laptop 1 1,995.15 
			 Compaq laptop 1 1,995.15 
			 Nokia mobile phone 1 7.05 
			 Nokia mobile phone 1 0.00 
			 Compaq Armada 500 laptop 1 0.00 
			 Compaq laptop and Psion 5MX series 2 2,367.05 
			 Compaq Armada E500 laptop 1 1,835.94 
			 Compaq Armada E500 laptop 1 1,835.94 
			 Compaq Armada 1120 laptop 1 1,835.94 
			 Pager 1 176.25 
			 Nokia mobile phone 1 50.00 
			 Total to date for 2001–02 30 33,866.30

Child Protection Committees

Rudi Vis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which area child protection committees have arrangements with each of the immigration detention and reception centres at (a) Oakington, (b) Tinsley House, (c) Yarls Wood, (d) Harmondsworth and (e) John Gavell; and if he will place in the Library copies of the protocols and working agreements.

Jacqui Smith: Oakington Reception Centre, and Tinsley House, Yarl's Wood and Harmondsworth Removal Centres have all made links with their local Area Child Protection Committee.
	Oakington's child protection policies and procedures have been endorsed by Cambridgeshire Area Child Protection Committee.
	Tinsley House conforms to West Sussex Area Child Protection Committee's child protection procedures and has a nominated child protection adviser to assist with child protection training, advice and liaison.
	Guidance on child protection arrangements for Yarl's Wood has been incorporated into Bedfordshire and Luton Area Child Protection Committee's Manual of Procedures, and protocols have been agreed with Group 4, who are contracted to manage the centre.
	Draft child protection procedures for Harmondsworth have been the subject of a report to Hillingdon Area Child Protection Committee and a subsequent conference involving the NSPCC, UKDS—who are contracted to manage the centre, relevant local authorities and the voluntary sector.
	I understand that my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for the Home Department, is arranging for copies of the child protection policies for these centres to be placed in the Library.
	Dungavel Removal Centre in Strathaven, South Lanarkshire is a matter for the devolved Administration.

Departmental Sponsorship

Jim Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the financial resources and initiatives sponsored by his Department in the last 12 months for Dorset which are additional to the Government SSA grants.

Hazel Blears: The table lists the type and amount of funding made available to Dorset county council by the Department in 2000–01 and 2001–02, which is additional to the standard spending assessment.
	
		£000 
		
			  2000–01 2001–02 
		
		
			 AIDS Support Grant 40 48 
			 Mental Health Grant 933 1,044 
			 Training Support Programme 300 334 
			 Partnership Grant(20) 1623 — 
			 Prevention Grant(20) 232 — 
			 Promoting Independence Grant(20) — 2,320 
			 Carers' Grant 362 507 
			 Children's Grant 479 1,190 
			 Improving Information Management Grant(21) — 16,666 
			 Deferred Payments Grant(21) — 194 
			 Young People's Substance Misuse Planning Grant(21) — 18 
			 Building Care Capacity Grant(21) — 613 
			 Drugs and Alcohol Specific Grant(21) 50 0 
			 Supplementary credit approvals:   
			 Mental Health 160 124 
			 AIDS/HIV 0 0 
		
	
	(20) The Partnership and Prevention Grants were amalgamated into the Promoting Independence Grant from 2001–02
	(21) The grant commenced in 2001–02

NHS Dentists

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if the Government plans to set a minimum number of hours to be spent by dentists on NHS patients.

Hazel Blears: Dentists who are independent contractors are free to choose how much time they wish to devote to the provision of national health service dental services. There are no plans to introduce a requirement for a minimum number of hours that dentists should spend providing NHS treatment. We are committed to the provision of NHS dental care, and have invested £100 million over two years in the form of incentives and grants to modernise services and encourage increased commitment to the NHS. We will continue to work with the profession and other stakeholders on future arrangements for NHS dentistry.

NHS Dentists

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what incentives the Government plans to encourage the establishment of new NHS dentists' practices in North Shropshire;
	(2)  what local initiatives the Government plans to increase (a) recruitment and (b) retention of NHS dentists in North Shropshire.

Hazel Blears: There are no immediate plans to alter existing arrangements for dentists joining the general dental service. However, discussions are underway nationally, with the profession and other stakeholders, to consider future arrangements for national health service dentistry. Workforce issues are included in those discussions.
	Historically Shropshire has had difficulty attracting sufficient dentists offering NHS treatment. In partnership with the two Staffordshire health authorities and the local NHS Workforce Confederation, the HA is commissioning an extensive review of the key employment issues facing local dental teams. This review will also identify local solutions.
	Every HA in England has in place a dentistry action plan. These identify local issues and develop solutions. In 2001–02 Shropshire HA was allocated, from national funds, £50,000 to enable general dental service practitioners to register and treat more NHS patients. More recently, an additional £50,000 has been allocated to provide support to practitioners who wish to establish, or expand, NHS practice. Since June 2001 HAs have had powers to use their own resources to address shortfalls in local availability of NHS dentistry.

NHS Dentists

John Randall: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients were registered with a NHS dentist in the Hillingdon health authority in each of the last seven years.

Hazel Blears: The number of adult and child patients registered with a general dental service (GDS) dentist in Hillingdon health authority at 30 September for each of the years 1995 to 2001 is shown in the table.
	In September 1996, the registration period for new adult and child registrations was shortened to 15 months. Previously adult registrations lasted for 24 months and child registrations expired at the end of the following calendar year. This affected registration numbers from December 1997 onwards. Data for 1995, 1996 and 1997 are not comparable with later years.
	Some patients that are not registered with a GDS dentist choose to attend occasionally.
	
		General dental service: Number of adult and child registrations(22) -- Hillingdon health authority
		
			 September each year Adults Children Total 
		
		
			 1995(22) 106,346 32,957 139,303 
			 1996(22) 104,213 33,604 137,817 
			 1997(22) 106,233 35,163 141,396 
			 1998 90,010 31,741 121,751 
			 1999 86,234 32,186 118,420 
			 2000 85,422 32,853 118,275 
			 2001 82,137 32,681 114,818 
		
	
	(22) Affected by the change in registration periods to 15 months.

NHS Dentists

John Randall: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many dentists were accepting NHS patients in the Hillingdon health authority in each of the last seven years.

Hazel Blears: The total number of general dental service (GDS) dentists that carry out the majority of their work in Hillingdon health authority at 30 September for each of the years 1995 to 2001 is shown in the table.
	The total number of dentists covers principals on a HA list, their assistants and vocational dental practitioners. Although the number of dentists continues to rise, their level of commitment to the GDS varies, mainly due to an increase in private working.
	
		General dental service: Total number of dentists(23) providing national health service treatment, 1995 to 2001—Hillingdon health authority(24)
		
			 September each year Total dentists 
		
		
			 1995 90 
			 1996 89 
			 1997 91 
			 1998 95 
			 1999 98 
			 2000 107 
			 2001 104 
		
	
	(23) Data cover principal dentists on a health authority list, their assistants and vocational dental practitioners.
	(24) Dentists who do the majority of their work in Hillingdon HA. Excludes dentists in the Hillingdon HA area who do most of their work in other HAs.

Performance Improvement Payments

Evan Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much money was distributed to the south-east region in performance improvement payments in 2001–02; and which trusts in the south-east region received payments.

Hazel Blears: The information requested has been placed in the Library.

Private Hospitals

George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information on standards of patient care the NHS requires from private sector hospitals carrying out operations on behalf of the NHS.

John Hutton: There are two important safeguards in place.
	First, from 1 April 2002 the National Care Standards Commission will take over from health authorities the regulation of private health care services, including private hospitals. For the first time they will be required to comply with regulations and meet national minimum standards. Also for the first time, owners, managers and others registered as being responsible for the day-to-day running of the hospital will be held responsible for the quality of care and treatment provided.
	Second, national health service commissioners are responsible for ensuring that all services and treatment provided for patients are high quality. Patients receiving treatment in private hospitals paid for by the NHS remain NHS patients. Therefore, when commissioning treatment from the independent sector, NHS commissioners must be satisfied that the treatment will be of a high standard, for example, by paper evidence of performance and visits. Quality requirements can also be set out in contracts between the NHS and the independent sector.

Independent Complaints Reviews

Desmond Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidelines exist with respect to tape recording the proceedings of independent complaints reviews; and if he will make a statement.

Hazel Blears: It is for the lay chairman, in consultation with the other panel members, to decide how an independent review panel will operate. This can involve the tape recording of the panel's proceedings with the agreement of all concerned.

Hospital Meals

Anne Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average cost per hospital meal is (a) before and (b) after the implementation of the Government's Better Hospital Food programme; and if he will make a statement.

Hazel Blears: The Better Hospital Food programme, announced in the NHS Plan, is designed to improve the quality and availability of food in hospitals for all patients and is a long-term programme. An additional £38.5 million has been made available to support this programme.
	The first stage is to ensure that all sites are brought up to the required level. As the 31 December 2001 target date for implementation has only just passed, precise information will not yet be available, and will vary from site to site according to historic levels of investment, the type of system in operation and patient choice. We expect that detailed costings information will be available as the programme becomes established.

Chiropody Services

John Randall: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of chiropody services in the Hillingdon health authority.

John Hutton: It is for local statutory bodies, Hillingdon Primary Care Trust in this instance, to determine the services they provide in the light of their knowledge of local needs and priorities.

Ashford and St. Peter's Hospital NHS Trust

David Wilshire: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many beds were available for use within the Ashford and St. Peters hospital NHS trust on 1 January (a) 1999, (b) 2000, (c) 2001 and (d) 2002.

Hazel Blears: The number of beds available for use on the 1 January for the requested years at Ashford and St. Peter's hospitals national health service trust is not centrally available.
	An average daily number of available beds in each financial year is collected and the information for the trust is given in the table. An available bed is defined as open and staffed at midnight and is ready to take a patient or has a patient occupying the bed.
	
		Average daily number of available beds, wards open overnight(25), Ashford and St. Peter's Hospital NHS Trust, 1998–99 to 2000–01
		
			 Year Total number of available beds 
		
		
			 2000–01 633 
			 1999–2000 612 
			 1998–99 612 
		
	
	(25) ie 24 hours
	Source
	KH03—Bed availability and occupancy

Health Authority Expenditure

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will rank each health authority in England by the percentage change in health spending per head of population between 1997–98 and 2002–03.

John Hutton: Expenditure per head cannot be reliably compared between health authorities or between different years.
	Expenditure data for 2000–01 are the latest available, therefore the increase in expenditure per weighted head of population has been calculated as the percentage change between 1997–98 and 2000–01. These are shown in the table.
	
		
			 Health Authority Percentage increase 1997–98 to 2000–01 
		
		
			 Morecambe Bay 51.60 
			 Sefton 45.04 
			 Dorset 43.56 
			 Bromley 39.82 
			 Camden and Islington 39.34 
			 Croydon 37.75 
			 Kensington, Chelsea and Westminster 33.70 
			 Barnet 32.69 
			 Tees 32.54 
			 Nottingham 31.73 
			 Liverpool 31.62 
			 Doncaster 31.17 
			 Dudley 30.88 
			 Lambeth, Southwark and Lewisham 30.85 
			 Redbridge and Waltham Forest 30.81 
			 Salford and Trafford 30.47 
			 Wirral 30.25 
			 Barnsley 29.79 
			 East London and The City 29.66 
			 East Kent 29.51 
			 South Essex 29.48 
			 Northamptonshire 29.42 
			 East Sussex, Brighton and Hove 29.41 
			 Bexley and Greenwich 29.36 
			 Avon 29.24 
			 Portsmouth and South East Hampshire 29.00 
			 North Essex 28.87 
			 Enfield and Haringey 28.22 
			 Rotherham 28.15 
			 Merton, Sutton and Wandsworth 27.58 
			 East Surrey 27.56 
			 Berkshire 27.44 
			 Northumberland 27.19 
			 Barking and Havering 26.99 
			 Calderdale and Kirklees 26.92 
			 Oxfordshire 26.83 
			 Bedfordshire 26.71 
			 Sunderland 26.49 
			 Coventry 26.45 
			 West Pennine 26.40 
			 South and West Devon 26.17 
			 Somerset 26.04 
			 North and Mid Hampshire 25.70 
			 Manchester 25.59 
			 Wigan and Bolton 25.54 
			 North West Lancashire 25.53 
			 Cornwall and Isles of Scilly 25.40 
			 Walsall 25.40 
			 Newcastle and North Tyneside 25.32 
			 Wolverhampton 25.31 
			 East Riding and Hull 25.29 
			 West Sussex 25.23 
			 Isle of Wight 25.19 
			 Norfolk 25.17 
			 Wiltshire 24.73 
			 Cambridgeshire 24.23 
			 Stockport 24.10 
			 North Cumbria 24.05 
			 Ealing, Hammersmith and Hounslow 23.97 
			 North Nottinghamshire 23.97 
			 West Surrey 23.86 
			 County Durham and Darlington 23.60 
			 South Cheshire 23.56 
			 Leeds 23.18 
			 Suffolk 23.12 
			 West Kent 23.11 
			 North Yorkshire 23.02 
			 St. Helens and Knowsley 22.83 
			 Southampton and South West Hampshire 22.79 
			 Gloucestershire 22.72 
			 Sandwell 22.48 
			 North Staffordshire 22.34 
			 Bury and Rochdale 22.27 
			 Bradford 22.08 
			 North Cheshire 21.80 
			 North and East Devon 21.67 
			 Gateshead and South Tyneside 21.66 
			 South Lancashire 21.62 
			 Brent and Harrow 21.60 
			 Shropshire 21.59 
			 Birmingham 21.56 
			 West Hertfordshire 21.54 
			 South Staffordshire 21.44 
			 Hillingdon 20.93 
			 East and North Hertfordshire 20.90 
			 Leicestershire 20.80 
			 East Lancashire 20.60 
			 Buckinghamshire 20.56 
			 Sheffield 20.52 
			 Worcestershire 19.91 
			 South Humber 19.32 
			 Lincolnshire 19.26 
			 Wakefield 18.65 
			 Kingston and Richmond 18.05 
			 North Derbyshire 17.94 
			 Southern Derbyshire 17.67 
			 Warwickshire 16.43 
			 Herefordshire 13.26 
			 Solihull 13.16 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. In many health authorities there are factors which distort the expenditure per head. These include: the health authority acting in a lead capacity to commission health care or fund training on behalf of other health bodies; asset revaluations in NHS Trusts being funded through health authorities; and some double counting of expenditure between health authorities and primary care trusts within the health authority area. Allocations per weighted head of population provide a much more reliable measure to identify differences between funding of health authorities.
	2. Expenditure is taken from health authority and primary care trust summarisation forms and accounts which are prepared on a resource basis and therefore differ from allocations in the year. The expenditure is the total spent by the health authority and by the primary care trusts within each health authority area. The majority of General Dental Services expenditure is not included in the health authority or primary care trust accounts and is separately accounted for by the Dental Practice Board.
	3. Health authorities and primary care trusts should account for their expenditure on a gross basis. This results in an element of double counting where one body acts as the main commissioner and is then reimbursed by other bodies. This affects the results for 2000–01 in particular but the effect of this double counting within the answer cannot be identified.
	4. Cambridgeshire and Norfolk health authorities were established on 1 April 1999 from the merger of three former health authorities. Expenditure figures for 1997–98 have been calculated from the relevant proportions of the three health authorities in the new bodies.
	Source:
	Health Authority annual accounts 1997–98
	Health Authority summarisation forms 2000–01
	Primary Care Trust summarisation schedules 2000–01
	Weighted population estimates 2000–01

Residential Children's Services

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when residential children's services will be registered in Herefordshire and Worcestershire under the new requirements governing residential child care.

Jacqui Smith: The new National Care Standards Commission (NCSC) will register residential children's services when its powers, as set out in the Care Standards Act 2000, come into force on 1 April 2002. Until that date, applications for registration will continue to be dealt with by the local council in which area the proposed residential service is situated. Applications that have not been processed by councils by the end of March 2002 will have their applications transferred to NCSC.
	Children's residential services, which are already registered with local councils, will have their current registration transferred to the NCSC on 1 April 2002. Councils are currently compiling the necessary information to ensure that transfer of registration takes place on that date.

Mental Health

Helen Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how the Government's proposals stemming from (a) the White Paper on Mental Health, and (b) the policy statement on mental capacity, Making Decisions, will address the House of Lords judgment in the Bournewood case which relates to patients who lack capacity to consent;
	(2)  what safeguards he plans to introduce for people who do not actively object to mental health treatment in hospital but lack the capacity to consent to it.

Jacqui Smith: The ruling of the House of Lords in the Bournewood case upheld the lawfulness of the current position whereby patients who lack capacity to consent to treatment for their mental disorder, as long as they do not show resistance, can be treated without the use of formal compulsory powers in the Mental Health Act 1983. Concerns, however, were raised about these patients.
	We are committed to reforming the 1983 Mental Health Act and a Bill will be introduced as soon as parliamentary time allows. As proposed in the White Paper, Reforming the Mental Health Act (December 2000), new legislation will provide the following safeguards for adult patients who have a long-term incapacity to consent and who are in a hospital or nursing home receiving treatment for a serious mental disorder:
	care and treatment overseen by a new commission for mental health;
	representation by a nominated person;
	an individual care plan, with external scrutiny by an independent member of the new expert panel;
	the right to go to the new mental health tribunal to challenge lawfulness of detention or for review of the care plan; and
	the right of access to independent specialist mental health advocacy.
	We are also committed to bringing forward legislation on mental incapacity as soon as Parliamentary time allows. The 1999 policy statement "Making Decisions" proposes a range of measures aimed at clarifying the decision-making process on behalf of mentally incapacitated adults, including the introduction of a new system of continuing powers of attorney. These proposals will be complementary to those for mental health legislation.

Royal Shrewsbury Hospital

Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement of progress made on a new building at the Royal Shrewsbury hospital to replace the Copthorne South building.

Yvette Cooper: The vacation of acute services currently on the Royal Shrewsbury hospital Copthorne South site and achieving its closure is a recognised priority both locally and regionally. The Royal Shrewsbury Hospital national health service trust and the Princess Royal hospital NHS trust have now completed the full business case and this has been submitted to the NHS west midlands regional office for approval.

Care Homes

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) nursing home beds and (b) residential care home beds were available per 1,000 people aged over 65 in each county of England in (i) 1997, (ii) 1999 and (iii) 2001; and what the county average is.

Jacqui Smith: Information on the number of registered nursing care beds per 1,000 population aged 65 and over in (i) 1997, (ii) 1999 and (iii) 2001 is shown by health authority in table 1; information on the number of residential care places per population aged 65 and over in (i) 1997, (ii) 1999 and (iii) 2001 is shown by local authority in table 2, which have been placed in the Library.

Care Homes

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will estimate the cost to the East Riding of Yorkshire Council of the administration of the registration of care homes under the National Care Standards Commission.

Jacqui Smith: Local authorities will have to pay in 2002–03 registration fees of £1,100 for each home they own and registration fees of £300 for each home manager. This is to bring local authority owned homes on to the same charging basis as homes owned by voluntary or private organisations. The total cost of this is for the East Riding of Yorkshire council to calculate themselves. Currently their own registration unit should be charging themselves annual fees for the local authority owned homes they are inspecting. In 2002–03 the National Care Standards Commission will not be charging any annual fees for homes that have to be registered for the first time as part of the transition process under the Care Standards Act. Annual fees for such homes will be introduced in 2003–04.

Bristol Royal Infirmary

Jimmy Wray: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recommendations from the Kennedy report into the Bristol Royal infirmary case the Government will adopt to improve treatment of congenital heart disease.

John Hutton: The Paediatric and Congenital Cardiac Services Review Group has been established to consider the recommendations from the Kennedy Report that specifically relate to health care services and treatment for children with congenital heart disease. The group has also been asked to recommend quality standards for the paediatric and congenital cardiac service and to advise on any configuration issues that arise from those standards. The review group will report in 2002.

Road Traffic Accidents (NHS Charges)

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will withdraw the Road Traffic (NHS Charges) Amendment Regulations S.I., 2002/4030.

Hazel Blears: Following representations received from the noble Lord, Lord Hunt of Wirral, and the Association of British Insurers, arrangements are now being made to revoke the Road Traffic (NHS Charges) Amendment Regulations, which came into force on 28 January 2002. Amendment Regulations will be laid before the House shortly.

"Making It Happen"

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how much money was spent on promoting mental health in (a) 1997–98, (b) 1998–99, (c) 1999–2000 and (d) 2000–01;
	(2)  what was the cost of the new guide "Making it Happen"; and how many copies were printed;

Jacqui Smith: Expenditure on centrally funded initiatives on promoting mental health is provided in the table.
	
		
			   £ million  
		
		
			 1997–98 1.4  
			 1998–99 1.2  
			 1999–2000 1.8  
			 2000–01 1.3  
		
	
	Information on specific spend in health authorities is not collected.
	However, following the inclusion of a mental health promotion standard in the National Service Framework for Mental Health, health and social services have been set a target to develop and agree local mental health promotion strategies by March 2002. To help support the delivery of this target the Department commissioned the development of national guidance "Making it Happen: a guide to mental health promotion", published in August 2001. This guidance cost £204,000 including publishing and distribution. 5,000 copies of "Making it Happen" were printed and distributed. The guidance is also available on the Department's website.

Drugs

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the range of daily dosages in milligrams of methadone normally recommended for use in drug control treatments.

Hazel Blears: The guidance from the Department on this issue, detailed in "Drug misuse and dependence—guidelines on clinical management" (1989) makes clear that the actual dose given for an individual patient must be assessed and determined by the prescribing doctor.
	The clinical guidelines recommend that depending on the individuals tolerance levels the range for the initial dose should be between 10mg and 40mg.
	If a follow-up dose is required it should not exceed 30mg. However, a supplementary dose should only be considered where there is evidence of persistent opioid withdrawal. These cases need to be assessed by an experienced medical practitioner.
	As far as the subsequent stabilisation period is concerned any increases in dosage should not exceed 10mg per week up to a final total of between 60 and 120mg.

Cancer

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the future provision of cancer services in Hertfordshire.

Yvette Cooper: holding answer 1 February 2002
	The Steering Group for the Long Term Review of Mount Vernon Cancer Network and Centre has met on 30 January 2002 to consider an interim report. The Steering Group reviewed feedback that they had received since the publication of its preliminary report in September 2001, the proposed clinical model, progress on site surveys and access issues.
	The Steering Group is working towards a major decision that will ensure the best possible cancer services for the population in Hertfordshire and others that use the Mount Vernon Cancer Centre. There is a great deal to consider, including the many different viewpoints of patients and communities. The Steering Group wishes to be confident of its findings before making any final recommendations later in the year.

Surgical Instruments

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the cost of re-stocking with re-usable instruments for tonsillectomy following the hazard notice of October 2001.

Yvette Cooper: The estimated cost of re-stocking with re-usable instruments would have been no more than £1.4 million.
	This estimate is based on 150 trusts undertaking tonsillectomy operations, with eight sets of instruments per trust at an average cost per set of £1,200. However, feedback from trusts indicates that a significant percentage of them have retained their original re-usable sets. Therefore, the actual figure may be much less.

Surgical Instruments

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions he had with surgeons on the acceptability of the disposable instruments purchased for tonsillectomy in 2001.

Yvette Cooper: The National Health Service Purchasing and Supply Agency undertook the procurement process with the support of the British Association of Otorhinolaryngolygists (BAO), whose members were regularly consulted about the acceptability and quality of the products.
	In February 2001, all BAO members were invited to attend an inspection of the sample instruments that had been submitted. The feedback from this event was used to determine a shortlist of suppliers.
	Instruments from short listed companies were used and evaluated by surgeons selected at random before final decisions were made about which products would be supplied.

Waiting Lists

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people have been waiting (a) more than six months and (b) more than 12 months for treatment in the 10 health authority areas that receive (i) the highest and (ii) the lowest weighted expenditure per head of population.

John Hutton: holding answer 4 February 2002
	For the reasons set out in the notes to the table, expenditure per head cannot be reliably compared between health authorities, nor necessarily be correlated with waiting times information.
	The 10 health authorities with the highest and lowest expenditure per weighted head of population in 2000–01 are shown in the table. The numbers of people waiting for more than six and 12 months for in-patient and for out-patient treatment are shown both as total numbers waiting and also as the numbers waiting per 1,000 head of weighted population.
	
		Health authorities with highest expenditure per capita
		
			   Number of patients waiting for in-patient treatment  
			 Name Expend per capita (£) Over six months Per 1,000 head of weighted population Over 12 months Per 1,000 head of weighted population 
		
		
			 Morecambe Bay HA 1,346.04 1,085 3.44 112 0.36 
			 Camden and Islington HA 1,067.88 1,147 2.28 236 0.47 
			 Sefton HA 1,040.25 1,811 6.06 385 1.29 
			 Dorset HA 1,023.69 47 0.07 11 0.02 
			 Kensington, Chelsea and Westminster HA 1,011.24 838 1.66 92 0.18 
			 Bromley HA 971.74 1,913 6.54 301 1.03 
			 Barnet HA 959.87 1,298 3.93 217 0.66 
			 East Surrey HA 958.66 3,009 7.89 874 2.29 
			 Sheffield HA 956.59 1,868 3.26 57 0.10 
			 Croydon HA 925.44 2,145 6.55 625 1.91 
		
	
	
		Health authorities with lowest expenditure per capita
		
			   Number of patients waiting for in-patient treatment  
			 Name Expend per capita (£) Over six months Per 1,000 head of weighted population Over 12 months Per 1,000 head of weighted population 
		
		
			 Stockport HA 759.28 1,389 4.96 192 0.69 
			 Solihull HA 756.17 473 2.44 17 0.09 
			 Buckinghamshire HA 755.09 3,419 5.60 681 1.12 
			 Hillingdon HA 753.76 987 3.98 200 0.81 
			 St. Helens and Knowsley HA 749.06 1,782 4.72 329 0.87 
			 West Pennine HA 746.22 1,939 4.02 279 0.58 
			 North Derbyshire HA 744.33 1,649 4.53 35 0.10 
			 East Lancashire HA 740.66 2,405 4.28 91 0.16 
			 County Durham And Darlington HA 738.32 1,852 2.76 23 0.03 
			 Wigan and Bolton HA 732.65 2,638 4.29 395 0.64 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. In many health authorities there are factors which distort the expenditure per head. These include:
	the health authority acting in a lead capacity to commission health care or fund training on behalf of other health bodies;
	asset revaluations in NHS trusts being funded through health authorities; and
	some double counting of expenditure between health authorities and primary care trusts within the health authority area.
	Allocations per weighted head of population provide a much more reliable measure to identify differences between funding of health authorities.
	2. Expenditure is taken from health authority and primary care trust summarisation forms which are prepared on a resource basis and therefore differ from allocations in the year. The expenditure is the total spent by the health authority and by the primary care trusts within each health authority area. The majority of General Dental Services expenditure is not included in the health authority or primary care trust accounts and is separately accounted for by the Dental Practice Board.
	3. Health authorities and primary care trusts should account for their expenditure on a gross basis. This results in an element of double counting where one body acts as the main commissioner and is then reimbursed by other bodies. The effect of this double counting within the answer cannot be identified.
	Sources:
	Health authority summarisation forms 2000–01
	Primary care trust summarisation schedules 2000–01
	Weighted population estimates 2000–01
	QF01/QMO8R Waiting times data quarterly returns, end March 2001

Maternity Units

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his policy is on the size of maternity units in the NHS.

Yvette Cooper: holding answer 4 February 2002
	The national health service provides care for women during pregnancy and childbirth in various types and sizes of maternity units. This will vary from large units in hospitals to small midwife led units. It is for local health authorities, trusts and communities to decide on the pattern of service provision taking into account the needs of local service users, evidence of effectiveness and available resources.

Emergency Services (Pay and Conditions)

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the pay and conditions of control room staff in the (a) ambulance, (b) police and (c) fire services under the new combined working arrangements.

Hazel Blears: holding answer 4 February 2002
	The pay and conditions of ambulance control room staff will continue to be determined in accordance with national health service pay arrangements. For staff on national contracts, negotiations on pay for 2002–03 will start shortly.
	Employment arrangements for staff working in the police and fire services are the responsibility of my right hon. Friends the Home Secretary and the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions respectively.

Herceptin

Richard Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement relating to the availability to patients in the west midlands of Herceptin prior to the publication of NICE guidance.

Yvette Cooper: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State and the National Assembly for Wales have asked the National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE) to appraise Herceptin for the treatment of advanced breast cancer, and to issue guidance on its use to the national health service in England and Wales. NICE expects to issue guidance on Herceptin in spring 2002.
	Data on the number of health authorities in England and Wales currently authorising the use of Herceptin are not collected. However, as with all newly licensed treatments in advance of a NICE appraisal, the Department's advice is that funding authorities should consider the clinical evidence available for a specific treatment before making any decision.

Care Workers

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much funding has been allocated to train care workers to NVQ level 2 standard as set out in the domiciliary care standards; and if he will make a statement.

Jacqui Smith: Provision has been made in the personal social services standard spending assessment (PSS SSA) in 2002–03 and 2003–04 for the training of care workers to NVQ level 2 standard as set out in the draft domiciliary care standards. The PSS SSA is unhypothecated, and it is for individual councils to consider how much to spend on this training in the light of local circumstances.

Clozophine

Michael Spicer: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average waiting time has been for schizophrenic patients who have been prescribed clozophine to receive the drug in the last six months.

Jacqui Smith: The information requested is not collected centrally.

Epsom Hospital

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many births there have been in Epsom hospital's maternity unit; and what the average number was in maternity units in England and Wales in the last five years.

Yvette Cooper: holding answer 5 February 2002
	Information about the average number of births in maternity units is not collected centrally.